The Spaghetti Story on the Spaghetti Day
What is the most ordered food when people generally step-in to restaurants or stop by any eatery? The answer in unison would undoubtedly be Biryani and Noodles! And who does not like one?
But, how many of us actually order spaghetti instead of noodles? And how many of us still think that the long, thin, solid, cylindrical noodle is actually not a noodle but a noodle pasta? And that it is certainly not a Chinese cuisine but an Italian one? Oh yes! Not your entire life would be a lie now!
Storia degli spaghetti (The History of Spaghetti)
It is said that there is always a story to any big and new beginning. And the history of pasta products like lasagna and spaghetti has its deep roots in the Mediterranean countries like Greece and other Middle-east countries and the Arabian Peninsula.
It is believed that Marco Polo during the 13th century on his voyage to China had introduced the concept of spaghetti which originated in Italy.
The world came to know about the pasta products between the early and mid-20th century when the immigrants of Italy had arrived at the shores of the United States. Having started promoting the popular recipes of the traditional, easy-to-make meals from their homeland until World War 2 when US soldiers returned home bearing with themselves the tales of interesting European cuisines.
Hollywood importantly played a huge role in the promotion of the Italian heritage allowing industrial manufacturers to start selling pre-made pasta meals across the entire world.
Spaghetti bolognese Italian pasta with parsley
Fatti di spaghetti (Spaghetti Facts)
Spaghetti, which comes from an Italian word, Spago, means ‘string’.
The slightly chewy texture of spaghetti is made from semolina or flour.
Italians twirl a fork against the spaghetti to eat while a spoon accompanied with a fork is culture only in America.
On April Fools Day in 1957, the BBC made everyone believe that spaghetti grows on trees.
World Spaghetti Day is widely celebrated on the 4th of January.
Californian restaurant Buca di Beppo created the largest ever bowl of spaghetti in 2010 managing to fill one swimming pool with around 6.250 kg of pasta.
Eating spaghetti makes you happy because the carbohydrates in it increase the body’s production of serotonin, the neurotransmitter that scientists believe trigger feelings of happiness and well-being.
Spaghetti with meatballs
This is the most common and crowd-friendly spaghetti recipe.
Boil the spaghetti with a pinch of salt and drain.
Combine your choice of meat with parmesan cheese, parsley, bread crumbs, eggs, salt, garlic, and chilly flakes
Fry in oil until brown from all sides.
Make a sauce for the meatballs by frying onions and tomatoes, seasoned with pepper and salt.
Once done, serve a spoonful of meatball sauce on the spaghetti and Mamma-mia!
Instant pot spaghetti
Want to save time and still want the best food on the table? This recipe is all you need!
Saute the meat with onion, garlic, ginger, and chilies.
Add water and salt and then break the spaghetti into the pot.
Seal the pot and cook on high pressure for 10mins.
Open the lid and serve with hot parmesan cheese and Oh my God!
Veggie Spaghetti
Oh please, don’t be sad for we also have some vegetarian recipes for the crowd where meat is a big no-no!
Select your favorite veggies (carrot, beans, zucchini, leafy vegetables) and fry them; mushroom can also be an option.
Add onion, garlic, and tomato puree as the base flavor for the sauce.
Season with herbs like oregano or rosemary and chilly flakes or pepper powder.
Toss the boiled spaghetti in the sauce, sprinkle grated parmesan, and geez!!!
Spaghetti with mint, pistachio, and spinach
Need a nutty twist in your wriggly spaghetti? Nothing can be better than this!
Mix basil, parsley, mint, lemon rind and juice, grated cheese, and garlic cloves in a bowl.
Add oil, salt, and finely chopped pistachio and blend until finely mixed.
Heat oil in a pan, and add the above along with the vegetable stock.
Add the spaghetti and bring to a boil.
Serve with crushed pistachio and chilly flakes and good heavens!
So, the next time you get served a plateful of spaghetti with mouth-watering toppings, thank the person who had invented spaghetti and introduced it to the world. He is a blessing in disguise! The most favorite and desired food item since childhood brings back a stream of nostalgia since it is the first Fast-Food that we have been exposed to.
One of the reasons spaghetti made such an impact in our culinary culture is probably due to the fact that spaghetti just lets you go crazy with it.