| Pasta is quick, easy to make and a tasty crowd | | | | Laurentiis. |
| pleaser. According to a recent survey, 75 percent of | | | | • Cook with wine you would drink. Better wine |
| American families enjoy pasta at least once a week. | | | | means richer flavor. When it comes to the bases for |
| To help home chefs create authentic Italian cuisine, | | | | sauces and sautéing, chefs consider aged |
| Barilla collaborated with StarChefs.com, a culinary | | | | balsamic vinegar, good extra virgin olive oil and red and |
| community resource, to survey more than 100 | | | | white wines to be staples, according to the survey. |
| professional Italian chefs-including celebrity chef and | | | | • Select pasta that cooks "al dente." Chefs |
| cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis-for advice on | | | | surveyed were unanimous about cooking pasta al |
| moving beyond spaghetti and meatballs. | | | | dente, or "to the tooth." Perfectly cooked pasta should |
| Here are the essential Italian ingredients every home | | | | be soft on the outside, but still a little hard on the inside. |
| chef needs in his or her kitchen and tips to help create | | | | Quality refers to pasta, too. De Laurentiis swears by |
| authentic Italian cuisine at home: | | | | Barilla pasta. |
| • Escape the monotony of beef and chicken. | | | | "Italians love to cook with great-quality, simple |
| Italian dining includes several courses, with the "secondi | | | | ingredients, and pasta is no exception. Barilla has all the |
| piatti," or main course, usually featuring meat or fish. | | | | qualities of great pasta -it holds its shape, it's always al |
| Try recipes that call for popular proteins in Italian | | | | dente and it has a great flavor," De Laurentiis said. |
| cooking such as fish, shrimp, scallops, prosciutto, pork | | | | Most importantly, Italian culinary experts agree that |
| and lamb. | | | | great food is not about complicated recipes, but more |
| "Lamb is a simple and versatile alternative to the more | | | | about using a few simple ingredients. A simple Italian |
| common beef-, poultry- or fish-based dishes. It can be | | | | dish, made with the freshest, high-quality ingredients, will |
| prepared for an elegant Italian dish when entertaining | | | | always be delicious. |
| or for a special Sunday dinner with family," said De | | | | |