spaghetti Archives - EverybodyCraves

News Bites May 16, 2019

Eating pasta three times a week won’t make you fat, study shows

Spaghetti. Rigatoni. Fettuccini. It’s everyone’s favorite — pasta — and Italian lovers everywhere can rejoice over new research that reveals the popular pantry item won’t make you fat. While the joys of pasta are undeniable (is there anyone out there who doesn’t love diving into a big bowl of bolognese?) its healthfulness has always been in question. In recent years, low-carb options like quinoa have taken a bite out of pasta sales as health-minded adults feared packing on the pounds. But science now tells us, that eating a portion of penne up to three time a week won’t make you fat, and it might even help you slim down. Researchers at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto conducted 30 randomized control trials involving nearly 2,500 people who replaced their regular carbohydrates with pasta as part of a healthy low-glycemic index diet. The findings? Pasta doesn’t not cause you to put on extra body fat. “The study found that pasta didn’t contribute to…

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Seasonal May 14, 2019

10 foods you didn’t know were actually American

American cuisine, the great melting pot, is known for adopting foods from all over the world as its own. But there are plenty of foods invented in the United States that you might wrongfully assume come from other cultures. No matter where a dish is born, it doesn’t make it any less delicious. So let’s give credit where credit is due. Here are 10 “foreign” foods that are actually American inventions. 1. German Chocolate Cake The name might bring to mind decadent Bavarian pastries, but this coconut-pecan frosted chocolate cake owes its name not to the country of Germany, but to an English-born candy maker named Samuel German. German developed a type of making chocolate for the Massachusetts-based Baker’s Chocolate Company — his employer at the time. The product was marketed as “Baker’s German’s Sweet Chocolate.” In 1957, a Dallas housewife, Mrs. George Clay, used the chocolate in a recipe she…

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News Bites April 17, 2019

Lasagna or lasagne: Which is correct?

Lasagne or lasagna? It’s everyone’s favorite cheesy Italian casserole. Layers of al dente noodles create a deliciously starchy structure on which we pile creamy ricotta, tomato-y meat sauce, and melty mozzarella. It’s a comfort food like no other. But what’s with the spelling? Have you noticed sometimes lasagna ends in an ‘e’ rather than an ‘a’? While it might seem like they are interchangeable (and they basically are in the U.S.), there is actually a method to this pasta madness. In Italian, ‘lasagne’ is the plural name given to flat, rectangular pieces of pasta. Whereas ‘lasagna’ is actually the singular form of ‘lasagne.’ ‘Lasagna’ is also the American English spelling of the word, with ‘lasagnas’ being the American plural. English speakers outside of North America usually use ‘lasagne.’ Whether you spell it with an A or an E, the pronunciation is the same. The last syllable sounds like “ya” —…

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News Bites February 14, 2019

10 mistakes you’re probably making when cooking pasta

Pasta is so simple, even a broke college kid can make it, right? Well, yes, if simply scarfing down calories is your goal. It doesn’t take much know-how to boil water, open a jar of sauce, and hope for the best. But if you want a delicious, authentic Italian-American plate of al dente pasta, there are many nuances to master. From leaving the noodles in the colander to not salting the water, here are 8 common mistakes we’ve all made when cooking pasta. Also see, Avocado whole wheat pasta salad. 1. Your pot is too small Size does matter. Pasta should be swimming because it will soak up water and expand. Once it expands, if there isn’t enough water left, it will get mushy and sticky. For 1 pound of pasta, fill a 4 or 5 quart pot about 3/4 of the way with water and boil. For 2 pounds of…

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News Bites August 21, 2018

Eating this amount of pasta could add years on to your life

Carb lovers, rejoice! A new study suggests that eating pasta could help you live longer, while following low-carb diets such as Atkins could increase your risk of dying young. Scientists from Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston analyzed data on 432,179 people and found that those who ate a “moderate” amount of carbs — about 50 to 55 percent of calories from carbohydrates like potatoes, pasta, and bread — could expect to live about four years longer. The findings were published in The Lancet Public Health journal. The study found that those who eat low-carb diets are more likely to have a lower intake of fresh fruit, vegetables, and healthy grains, and in their place, substitute more meat. This decrease in the variety of nutrients can lead to an increase in biological aging and a shortened lifespan. While low-carb diets like Atkins have fueled thinking that carbs are somehow bad…

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News Bites August 17, 2018

Researchers find out how to break spaghetti in just two pieces

Unless you own an enormous pot (or you’re a true Italian), chances are you snap your spaghetti in two before tossing it into the boiling water. But unless you’re superhuman, when you break that pasta in half you’ve probably dealt with those tiny pieces of dried pasta breaking off and whizzing through the air. At some point you may have wondered why spaghetti doesn’t just simply snap in half, or if there is a better way to do so. https://youtu.be/QwCJDEt8GfE As it turns out, in 2006, a pair of scientists took to solving this kitchen dilemma. Essentially, what happens is that the dry noodle bends before it breaks. This extra power means that when it finally breaks, it does so with more power and the vibrations it sends back through the remaining pieces cause them to bend and break as well. The discovery won the scientists an Ig Nobel, but…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes June 1, 2018

Garlicky Greek yogurt Alfredo sauce

There are a few foods that are banished from every dieter’s personal menu — Alfredo sauce being one of them. The thick, creamy restaurant staple is usually loaded with butter, cream and cheese. While incredibly delicious, it can pack up to 900 calories in just one cup! Even if you’re not dieting, this deliciously simple substitute hits the spot when you’re craving a creamy pasta. It’s perfect with whole wheat noodles as a healthy weeknight meal, or on top of a protein for a more special occasion. It’s so easy to make and so much healthier for you, you’ll say “so long” to that old heavy cream sauce, and you’ll never look back! Garlicky Greek yogurt Alfredo sauce Ingredients 2 tbsp olive oil 3-4 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp all-purpose flour 1 cup chicken broth (veggie works, too) 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used non-fat) 1/4 milk (I used skim milk but you can…

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Crave-Worthy Recipes March 7, 2018

Creamy avocado pesto sauce with veggie noodles

Pasta never gets old. Just change the sauce and the veggies and you have an entirely different meal. This pasta and sauce combo puts a California twist on an old favorite — pesto. Avocado is so versatile. If you’ve only been using it as a breakfast food or burrito topping, you’ve been missing out. Its unbelievably creamy texture adds tons of flavor and it coats almost any type of noodle really well — Angel hair, farfalle, whole wheat rigatoni. Add in a few handfuls of basil and some nuts for texture, and you’ll have a seriously satisfying sauce and spread. I chose veggie noodles (sometimes called zoodles because of the zucchini) as my base to give this dish a truly West Coast kind of feel. You can make them with lots of different vegetables by using a spiralizer or by carefully and thinly slicing each vegetable with a knife. As a time saver, or if…

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