Fun Facts About Pasta

Pasta in History

Popular legend has it that Marco Polo introduced pasta to Italy following his exploration of the Far East in the late 13th century; however, we can trace pasta back as far as the fourth century B.C., where an Etruscan tomb showed a group of natives making what appears to be pasta.

The Chinese were making a noodle-like food as early as 3000 B.C. And Greek mythology suggests that the Greek God Vulcan invented a device that made strings of dough (the first spaghetti!).

Pasta made its way to the New World through the English, who discovered it while touring Italy. Colonists brought to America the English practice of cooking noodles at least one half hour, then smothering them with cream sauce and cheese.

Thomas Jefferson is credited with bringing the first €macaroni€ machine to America in 1789 when he returned home after serving as ambassador to France.

The first industrial pasta factory in America was built in Brooklyn in 1848 by, of all people, a Frenchman, who spread his spaghetti strands on the roof to dry in the sunshine.

Facts & Figures

The average American consumes 20 lbs. of pasta annually. This makes it the 6th highest food per capita in the country.

As of March 2012, the average price an American pays for pasta is $1.45 per pound! This makes it one of the most affordable meals.

24% of the global consumption of pasta is by Americans - the largest of any country in the world. Americans consume 6 billion pounds of pasta each year.

The United States produces 4.4 billion pounds of pasta annually, making it the second largest pasta-producing nation.

Convenience

You can enjoy pasta on any budget, and thanks to its incredible versatility, you can have a different and delicious low-cost meal every day of the week.

Keeping pantry staples like dry pasta on hand is always helpful, especially for those days when the cupboard is a bit bare. No need for pricey takeout! It's easy to make a delicious, healthy meal in minutes that will satisfy your whole family.

Nutrition

Pasta is the perfect foundation for a healthy, delicious and satisfying meal. As an ideal delivery system for other nutritious foods, pasta meals can easily become nutritional all-stars. (Be sure to keep an eye on portion sizes to keep calories at bay. A one-cup serving of cooked pasta is roughly the size of your fist).

Overly-restricted diets take the joy out of eating. With so many options for building lower calorie, nutrient-rich pasta meals, you'll never get bored or feel limited while eating pasta.

Avoiding or limiting carbohydrates can leave you feeling sluggish, tired and unable to concentrate. Complex carbohydrates like pasta provides the optimum type of €fuel€ to power your muscles and brain, as it is digested more slowly, it provides a slower release of energy to keep you going throughout the day.

Pasta is an ideal partner for other nutritious foods that are essential to a healthy diet. It's great to pair with fiber-filled vegetables and beans, heart healthy fish and oils, antioxidant-rich tomato sauce and protein-packed, poultry and lean meats.

Looking for pasta delivery Singapore, Please visit here.

Macaroni & Cheese Crockpot Method

 Mac and Cheese is my little guys all time favorite food! He could eat bowls and bowls of it. I make box mac and cheese a lot but every once in a while I like to make the good stuff, made from scratch! I made this slow cooker mac and cheese for a play date that we had a few weeks ago. I threw everything in the slow cooker, mixed it every so often, and then lunch was ready! All the kids and moms really enjoyed it! 

Ingredients

• 1 lb elbow macaroni pasta, large
• 1 cup Cheez-It Grooves, crushed
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• 3 cup jack cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup parmesean cheese, grated
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 tablespoon butter
• 2 tablespoon flour
• 2 teaspoon creole seasoning
• 2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt for pasta water

Instructions

• Preheat oven to broil.
• Bring a large pot of water to boil, add about 2 teaspoonfuls of salt to water.
• Add pasta to water and cook according to package directions minus 1 minute.
• Drain and rinse pasta, toss in a little olive oil and set aside.
• In a medium skillet add 1 tablespoonful of olive oil over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of butter, add diced onion and cook for about 5 minutes.
• Add flour and cook a few minutes more.
• Add seasonings and mix well.
• Reduce heat to medium-low.
• Add heavy cream and add cheese by the cupful, mixing well after each addition.
• Taste mixture and adjust seasonings if needed.
• Fold in pasta and mix well.
• Transfer mixture to a casserole dish and top with extra cheese and crushed Cheez-It's.
• Broil for about 5 minutes.

Check out here for more recipes and also for pasta delivery Singapore.

Pasta Salad - 3 Quick Meals in Minutes

Pasta salads are a great way to make a quick meal any day of the week. In the time it takes to cook the pasta you can prepare your additional ingredients and serve your meal in no time.

These easy pasta recipes are simple to make with just a few ingredients and are flavorful ideas for when you want a simple and fast meal. Each of these recipes will make approximately two servings.

You will also find some simple serving suggestions for each pasta salad to make meal planning a breeze.

Broccoli Pasta Salad

- 1 cup cooked whole-grain rotini pasta

- 2 cups broccoli florets - (cut into bite-size pieces and steamed lightly if desired)

- ½ cup canned, drained mandarin orange segments - (reserve juice from oranges)

- ½ cup bottled honey Dijon dressing

- 1 tablespoon (or as desired) of reserved juice from oranges

- 2 tablespoon sliced almonds

Instructions:

- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Adjust dressing to taste, if needed.

Quick Meal Ideas:

Pasta and Seafood:

Combine shelled, cooked shrimp with some chopped tomato, celery and cilantro with a squeeze of lemon juice and serve along with this easy salad.

Quick Pasta Meal:

Make a simple presentation of this quick pasta salad by serving it on a bed of mixed salad greens along with sliced and toasted French bread spread with olive tapenade.

Optional Additions:

* Add crumbled cooked bacon, or some canned, drained and flaked tuna or browned and cubed tempeh.

__________________________________________________

Creamy Garlic Pasta Salad

- 2 cups cooked whole-grain penne pasta

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes - (cut tomatoes in half)

- ½ cup pitted kalamata olives - (cut each olive in half)

- ½ cup low-fat mayonnaise or low-fat plain yogurt

- 1 clove of garlic - (minced)

Instructions:

- In a bowl, combine the pasta, tomatoes and olives.

- In a smaller bowl, combine the mayonnaise or yogurt with the garlic and stir to combine.

- Add the garlic mixture to the salad ingredients and toss well.

Quick Meal Ideas:

Quick Pasta Meal:

For an easy and quick meal idea, try serving this pasta salad with a bowl of black bean soup.

Salad Meal:

Serve salad on a bed of romaine lettuce and baby spinach leaves along with sweet and sour pickles or dill pickles.

Optional Additions:

* Add some roughly chopped fresh basil.

* Add some extra vegetables like sliced green bell peppers and/or marinated artichoke hearts.

__________________________________________________

Easy Pesto Pasta Salad

- 3 cups cooked whole-grain rotelle pasta

- 1 ½ cups red bell pepper - (diced)

- 1 hard cooked egg - (chopped)

- ½ cup prepared basil pesto or sun-dried tomato pesto

Instructions:

- In a bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix well.

Quick Meal Ideas:

Quick Pasta Meal:

Serve salad along with thinly sliced smoked salmon layered on tomato slices and drizzled with some fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Salad Meal:

For an easy meal, try serving salad with steamed broccoli and mushrooms tossed with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Optional Additions:

* Add some capers and/or oil-cured olives.

Check out here for Pasta Delivery Singapore.

A Quick, Easy and Healthy Dinner: Pasta With Shrimp and Garlic

Weeknights can be a hectic time but take-out dinners and processed meals can wreak havoc on your wallet and your waistline! This delicious and healthy pasta dish can be on the table in under 20 minutes. The secret to this dish is to use frozen cooked and peeled shrimp, easily available in most grocery stores. Just thaw, toss with garlic, olive oil, butter and fresh parsley and you've got a fast shrimp scampi recipe in no time. A healthy combination of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, nutrient-rich fresh herbs and a small amount of good fat makes this an energy-boosting meal for students, athletes and busy professionals. With two growing teenage boys in my house, this is one of our "go to" dinner recipes that really delivers on those crazy busy school nights between sports and homework. Add a green salad and you're done!

Ingredients:

1 pound (1 box or package) of pasta (spaghetti, fettuccini or linguini)

1 pound (1 bag) of frozen shrimp, cooked and peeled. Medium or large shrimp work well.

2 cloves of garlic, sliced thin or minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons salted butter

A handful of fresh Italian Parsley, rough chopped

1 cup frozen peas (optional)

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Put a large pot of water on to boil. (at least 4 quarts of water per pound of pasta)

2. Put the frozen shrimp in a colander and run lukewarm water over them to thaw. It just takes a few minutes. Remove the tails and place the shrimp on a towel to dry.

3. When the water is at a rolling boil, add a heaping tablespoon of salt and drop in the pasta. Stir gently as the pasta softens until it is below the waterline and moving on its own. Set the timer to the time recommended on the package and stir every couple minutes to keep the pasta from sticking.

4. While the pasta is cooking, add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 tablespoons of butter and the garlic to a cold saucepan. Turn the heat to medium-high and sauté gently until the garlic is fragrant, about a minute or two. Don't let the garlic brown or burn or it will be bitter. Add the thawed, cooked shrimp and half of the fresh parsley. Season lightly with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Toss gently to coat the shrimp and turn the heat to low. You want to warm the shrimp through being careful not to cook them. (they are already cooked and any additional cooking with make them tough.)

5. About a minute before the pasta is ready, reserve a 1/2 cup or so of the starchy pasta water and set aside.

6. If adding frozen peas, add them now. The frozen peas will slow the cooking process down so you'll need to taste test your pasta for doneness. You may need to add an additional minute or two to the cooking time. By the time the pasta is done, the peas will be bright green and perfectly cooked.

7. When the pasta is al dente, cooked but still firm to the bite, drain it, along with the peas, into a colander. Put the hot pasta back in the hot pot - off the heat or on low - and add the shrimp. Scrape the saucepan with a rubber spatula to get all the herb, garlic and buttery deliciousness out of the pan. Toss together with the pasta until well coated. Add a splash of the reserved pasta water if it seems a bit dry. Add the last tablespoon of butter to create a silky smooth texture, toss in the remaining parsley, mix thoroughly and serve immediately.

As for the cheese... Italians generally do not add cheese to seafood dishes because the flavor is so delicate. However, if your family likes it that way, by all means add it!

 Pasta Delivery Singapore your one-stop resource for pasta recipes, ideas, how-to and more! You'll find simple step-by-step recipes with beautiful images, helpful how-to videos, drool-worthy culinary tours, timely seasonal inspiration and much more. Quick and easy one-dish dinner ideas, classic pasta and sauce combinations, rich and satisfying lasagnas, even an in depth video series on how to make fresh pasta by hand that will keep you coming back for more. To keep things flowing smoothly in your kitchen, look for her handy tips and timing techniques. From gathering your ingredients to garnishing your plate, you'll look like a seasoned pro. To check out more great pasta recipes, visit today!

Dining at Your Doorstep With Food Delivery

Food delivery used to be just left to the business of fast food operators and those who could actually afford to hire the necessary resources to ensure that they get island wide coverage. The logistics of it all is quite expensive to maintain, and you need to ensure that the food that gets to the door step of the house is just as good as the food that comes to the table at the restaurant. Singapore has changed and there has been a shift in our eating habits. While we still like to go out and eat, there is quite a large percentage of us working professionals and even the normal person on the street, that prefer to be in the comfort of our homes when we are eating our favorite food. And the industry has sportingly responded with an explosion of delivery services.

Usually, it was only fast food giants like McDonalds, KFC and even Pizza hut that had the demand necessary to provide such a service but things have changed. The way we eat has changed and we have become much more demanding when it comes to ordering food. For first things, our internal menu has expanded from our almost judicious contact with the outside world through TV or meeting expatriates in Singapore who can only gush about international cuisine. Sure, we have a favorite restaurant which serves our favourite Spanish food or Italian pasta, but sometimes situation does not allow for us to simply pack and go to the restaurant. Thankfully, plenty of these new restaurants (mid range eating places) have decided to go one better and extend delivery services to their patrons. Not only is it a good business venture for a population of eaters that is slowly expanding as the day goes by, but it also encourages the rest of the industry to follow suit.

Everyday I receive more and more flyers from new restaurants of every persuasion that are offering their delivery service and some have even gone online. McDonalds was one of the pioneers of the online delivery service and soon Pizza Hut, KFC and a whole host of other operators from low to midrange food service operators began to follow suite. Customisability is the by word here and now, the choice to mix and match orders and even add extras just adds to the experience. Dining at your doorstep with food delivery in Singapore is a reality. Now, it is no longer just a 'burger and fries' experience but an international fair.

The world can literally be served within the hour at your doorstep, piping hot and fresh. Try the different services available, some are definitely better than others when it comes to delivery time, freshness and price. I am not saying never go out; I enjoy dining in a restaurant with friends and family, but sometimes I just want to lounge at home with my TV and my favourite craving at my side, waiting to be eaten.

Singapore is a beautiful country located in South East Asia.

Click  here for Pasta delivery Singapore.