Take a spoonful of these dripping in white sauce and feel the creamy texture, the soft-succulent taste of it creating flavours in your mouth. If you have not guessed by now, we are hinting again. In Greek, the word means “barley porridge’. Scientist believes slurping this food will make you happy. It is one of those universal products with which you can dish out varied meals. Well, it is Pasta, the world’s most accessible and inexpensive food.

Every country has made this their version of ‘happiness’. Spaetzle in Hungary and Germany, while the Ashkenazi Jewish families make kreplach dumplings while in Poland they enjoy pocket-like pierogi,  in Greece it is Orzo, and in America as well Italy it is pasta.

The multicultural history of pasta

Everyone believes that pasta is from Italy, though it had its origin in China and Marco Polo bought it in Italy. However, during one of the excavations of the ruins of Pompeii tools for making certain types of pasta were found, an image of the pasta production process was also found in Egypt. Which makes it difficult to understand the origins of this interesting food.

Whatever might be its origin, present-day pasta is one of the most important foods. It is a source of energy substances that can be found less in vegetables and fruits. There are around 310 known pasta shapes. It can be dried (pasta Seca) or fresh (pasta Fresca). The type of pasta majorly depends on temperature and on drying time, which is of utmost importance because it is what determines the pasta’s appearance.

By having pasta, you remain healthy

For some of you, it might be something that you love to have any time, while for some you have it when you prepare something easy to prepare and have. For both of you, there is a good piece of information, pasta has one of the lowest fat contents and is a great source of energy. Also, this bowl of happiness satiates your appetite for a long time and also helps to normalise intestinal functions.

For those who are yet to prepare this humble food, a word of caution. Do not overcook pasta, or it will taste very bad. It requires the right amount of salt, water, and pasta. Boil 1 litre of water, put 100 g of salt and then pour paste. Remember to cook the pasta according to the instructions in the packaging. When it is overcooked, it releases its starch and the pasta swells up, while the inside remains somewhat hard. Do not cover the pot or else it will swell up and will stick to each other. After it is done, drain the water and wash the pasta under cold water so that it does not stick to each other. You can also add few drops of oil while it is under cold water. You can then smother it with butter, cream sauce, and mayonnaise.

Something to try out in your kitchen

By now you must be craving some lip-smacking, drool-worthy pasta recipes. Preparing this is so easy that when you are crunched for time, cooking pasta saves you the day. Hence, we bring to you some easy pasta recipes to manage your time and tummy simultaneously.

• Cauliflower Alfredo Pasta- Cauliflower can be added to everything, add some garlic and then quickly boil it. Your cauliflower Alfredo Pasta sauce is ready to eat
• Panacetta and Tomato sauce pasta: Add panacetta to spaghetti, and your taste for Italian food will never be the same.
• Slow-cooked cheese and Macaroni- Had a tough day at the office. Prepare this gooey-yum cheese and macaroni combo and see your mood plummeting. Settle down on the couch with wine in crystal glass, and keep binging on series at Netflix
• One-pan cheesy tomato bake- With cheese on, followed by tomato, mix the pasta at mixing grinding bowl, and then bake at one-pan, there cannot be a better start to the day
• Egg and Bacon Carbonara: How about spicing up your Anniversary and making it more seductive? Of course, you need to dress up, but how about creating the effect by preparing this special recipe with pasta, egg, and bacon carbonara. The food will make you sound ‘mmmmm’ between bites. Try it out and thank us later.
• Beef Chili Skillet Lasagne- Do you have a picky eater at your home? Try out these lasagne noodles layered and snuggled around a chilli sauce. Season it with cumin, ginger, and smoked paprika. You can even sprinkle a little pepper too. Ground the black pepper with this Electric salt and pepper Grinder
• Vegan Avocado Pasta- Opt for a healthy vegan avocado pasta, that has lots of goodness and one which is healthy too.
• Cheesy pumpkin pecan pasta- Prepare this dessert with pasta thrown in it (of course). Add to the pasta cream cheese, pecan and pumpkin and mix it thoroughly in a mixing grinding bowl with a silicone stainless steel spoon
• Skillet BBQ Mac + Cheese- With sautéed onions, add cheese and mac. For that extra flavour and the crunchy effect add any spicy wafers.
• One-pot pesto pasta with smoked salmon- Add all of these in one pot and you get one of the most delicious, decadent, and tasty recipes.
• One-Pot Chili Mac N’ cheese- Put everything in a bowl, you have the ever creamy pasta combo.
• Pumpkin Sage Pasta- With pasta every experiment remains successful, so instead of adding red sauce, combine sage with pumpkin, and enjoy the taste
• Single-serving mac and cheese- A bowl of mac and cheese and wine in a crystal glass. The perfect evening for lazing around
• Fresh Pasta with Marinara- Do you know kneading and baking can be a great stress reliever? So how about making pasta from scratch, that relieves your stress, also providing you with fresh delicious pasta prepared everything at home
• Pizza pasta salad- The name might have made you drooling and drooling. With the manual vegetable cutter slicer, prepare the combo and sit down to enjoy your pizza and pasta
• Red wine pasta- Add red wine to your pasta, for that unexpected flavour and colour. Add to it chopped basil, chopped garlic, and the best combo with pasta the grated cheese.

You love the taste of cheese and tomato in pasta but some recipes will alter your taste, but your love for pasta remains on a ‘sweet note’

• Pasta pudding- Yearning for some desserts. Prep up your pasta with fresh cream and sugar
• Macaroni pudding- Boil the macaroni, milk, and cream together. Add sugar, raisins, and apricots to it, sprinkle nutmeg. Bake it and your pudding is ready.

Few interesting facts

Fun facts about this oh so popular and tasty pasta

• As to the popular belief, pasta is thought to be of Italy origin, however, records and historical facts point out this food was consumed a long time back in China as well as in Roman civilization
• Tomato sauce was never used in pasta. It was only when it came to Italy that it became an iconic combination. Later, meatballs were thrown in it to make it tastier
• Do you how many shapes does this ‘bowl of happiness’ bring to your table? There are around 600 different shapes of pasta, according to International Pasta Organisation’, produced throughout the world.
• Even though Italy is not credited for the discovery of pasta, but it is one of the greatest consumers of pasta, followed by Venezuela and Tunisia
• Even America is equally obsessed with pasta and their favourite dish is macaroni and cheese
• Spaghetti, penne, and rotini are the most favourite pasta of the Americans
• Again, pasta was introduced to America by their third President, Thomas Jefferson. He fell in love while having it at Naples. He instantly ordered crates of macaroni along with the pasta-making machine.
• Eating pasta increases the body’s production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter, which the scientists believe triggers the feeling of being happy and joyful
• Before the 18-century pasta was made by hand. It was on the request of Ferdinando II that a machine was designed to make pasta easily
• As there are 600 varieties of pasta and hence there are various shapes. The shapes of pasta are not only appealing to the eyes (as you might have been told by your mother), but different shapes are good to go with different recipes.
• Different kinds of pasta require different to make them taste better. So the next time you want to cook, check out the recipes
• A meal good for your body
• The pasta was originally were had with hands, it was only when tomato sauce was put in sauce, that the cutlery came into use.

With time, this bowl of pasta has only spread ‘happiness’ with people devouring it in restaurants and homes. It is produced in innumerable sizes and shapes, with veggie, wheat, gluten-free options that are readily available. The obsession with pasta is such that a day has been earmarked for this ‘bowl of happiness’, so on 25 October let’s have a bowl of pasta