Celebration of Pasta

 

Despite the history of pasta, it was only in 1995, when 40 pasta producers from around the world gathered to hold the first World Pasta Congress, that it was decided to pay tribute to one of the most delicious and versatile foods and celebrate it with a day all its own – World Pasta Day – which is marked every year on October 25!

In honour of this occasion, we asked the chefs at Capsicum Culinary Studio for their favourite pasta dishes and here’s what they sent us. 

Fettucine Napoletana, Charne Wylie, Pretoria campus

Ingredients
500g fresh or dried fettucine
800g whole peeled tomatoes in tomato juice
3 leeks, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
5 garlic cloves, crushed
2 red chillies, seeded and chopped
3t olive oil
3t butter
salt to taste
440g-500g pasta, cooked al dente
Parmesan cheese, grated
green peppercorns, to taste
 
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Place the tomatoes, leeks, onion, garlic and chillies in a large roasting pan and top with the olive oil, butter and salt. Roast until the tomatoes start to brown around the edges. Stir and roast for a further 10 minutes. Toss with the pasta and sprinkle over the Parmesan and peppercorns. Serves 4.
 

Spaghetti Carbonara, Hayley Sutherland, Cape Town Campus 

Ingredients
 
500g fresh or dried spaghetti
500g minced pancetta or bacon
4 eggs, beaten
cracked black peppercorns
170g parmesan cheese, grated
chopped parsley (optional)
 
Method
Cook the pancetta or bacon in a large sauté pan over a low heat until golden brown, 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reserve the pancetta and fat in the pan and keep warm.
Bring a pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and stir a few times to separate the strands. Cook the spaghetti until al dente then drain. Return the pan with the pancetta/bacon to a medium heat and when hot, toss in the pasta and mix together making sure pasta is hot and coated well with the pancetta/bacon and all the ‘bits’ in the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the beaten eggs, tossing them with the pasta and pancetta until just cooked. Add the peppercorns and cheese, and toss. Garnish with chopped parsley and additional parmesan, if desired. Serves 4.