14 Facts about pasta :
1.Spaghetto is the singular word for spaghetti.
2. Before machinery, pasta was kneaded by foot.
3. Al dente pasta not only tastes better, it keeps you full longer.
4. There are approximately 350 shapes of pasta…
5. The average Italian eats 60 pounds of pasta per year…
6. And a typical portion is only 100 grams.
7. People were once fooled into thinking spaghetti grew on trees.
8. October 25 is World Pasta Day…
9. Most dried pastas are made with only two ingredients.
10. Which is why the word pasta comes from the Italian word for “paste.”
11. Italy produces between 1,700,000 and 3,300,000 TONS of pasta per year.
12. The most popular brand of dried pasta in Italy is Barilla.
13. The three most popular shapes of pasta are spaghetti, macaroni, and penne.
14. The first pasta factory in the U.S. was built in Brooklyn.
Ingredients:
- 1 lb medium shrimp, deveined and tails removed
- 1 lb spaghetti noodles (more or less, depending on family size)
- 6 -8 garlic cloves, according to personal taste, minced
- 1/4 cup butter
- olive oil (3 drizzles)
- italian seasoning
- fresh ground pepper
- red pepper flakes
- salt
- herbs (according to taste)
Directions:
- Boil pasta in water till tender, save 1 cup of pasta water for use later. I always put some oil, salt, and fresh herbs in with my pasta when I boil it. Drain and set aside when done.
- While pasta is boiling, wash shrimp.
- Melt butter over medium heat. Add shrimp.
- Let cook till a little pink and starting to curl. Then add garlic.
- Cook 5-7 min., add oil. Continue to stir till shrimp is pink and curled.
- Add pasta to skillet. Add seasonings. Add just enough saved pasta water till it is not dry but not swimming in liquid either. Depending on amount of pasta this requires 1/2 the cup or all of it. Start with adding 1/4 of it then work up from there.
- Keep tossing all ingredients around in skillet till all is incorporated and hot.
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