Pasta Reinvented

Adventurous and different but also relatable and relevant.
I have to start out by stating that I’m not the most adventurous eater you’ve ever come across. Having said that, however, I am trying to cut down on white-flour based products due to health reasons and to substitute them with good-tasting alternatives. Since pasta is one of my favorite foods, this seemed like a good place to start. Fortunately, the book made it look as if this wasn’t going to be as huge a sacrifice as I’d dreaded.The book presents many alternative pastas made from grains other than wheat. Some of the grains I’ve heard about such as millet, buckwheat, quinoa, and even oat. Some grains, such as rice and corn, which I would probably like better than the above, aren’t that great (sugar wise) as alternatives to white flour. And some grains, I have never heard about, such as einkorn.As it happens, the recipe that caught my eye on the day I received the book was made with einkorn pasta which, of course, I didn’t have. I did have on hand a recently-purchased lentil pasta of similar shape as that in the recipe and all the other ingredients. I proceeded to make the dish. It was delicious. It’s called Caesar Salad Pasta with Anchovy Croutons. I did cut back on the anchovies for the croutons but left them in the dressing. I didn’t tell my husband that this wasn’t regular pasta and it took him a while to notice and comment, but he wasn’t as negative about the idea as I would have expected.There are many intriguing recipes in the book. The Beet Tagliatelle with Goat Cheese and Fried Sage is the next I will try, even though it involves actually making the pasta itself from scratch—something I don’t really intend to make a practice of (and the book assumes that I will). For the most part, I plan to buy alternative pastas and find recipes that seem compatible to them. But the pasta-making process sort of intrigues me and I do have a pasta machine that I normally use for softening fondant, so I’m willing to try it this once. Another one on the docket is Chickpea Cacio E Pepe with Crisped Leeks.On the whole, it’s a fascinating book. You can sit down to read it and come up with ways to doctor up, glamorize, and improve current recipes and make them healthier at minimal sacrifice. There are also recipes that are a little too adventurous or too spicy for me. Pasta is presented not only as an entrée but also as soup and salad.Whether it is to eat healthier or just to try different approaches to pasta (none of which involves expensive ingredients, though some might be hard-to-find) this is a worth-while book to add to your cookbook library. I’ve had it for almost three weeks, have made one recipe but have literally spent hours going through the recipes. It has been on my breakfast room table next to my seat and I turn the pages and read the recipes as if they were novels and look at the excellent photos that make even dishes I know I won’t like look appetizing. I’ve finally brought it to my computer in order to write this review and to very highly recommend this book to you.

Ideas muy creativas. Buen libro para mi coleccion.