26 January 2011

The pasta master

Gino D’Acampo is one of the most passionate proponents of the health benefits of pasta, and he explains how his favourite food can fit into a gluten-free lifestyle

I remember it like it was yesterday… I was thirteen, on my first day at catering college. My teacher took me to the kitchen and showed me how to make fresh pasta dough. At one point, I got so excited that I promised myself I would share this experience with as many people as possible. Since then, my love affair with pasta has never changed. If I had my way, I would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Growing up, I don’t ever remember having a meal with my family where pasta didn’t feature, especially Sunday lunch. My mother used to make, and still does, the most beautiful lasagne ever. No matter how big she made it, however, there was never anything left over at the end of the meal – in fact my sister and I used to argue over the last slice. I’ve carried on this tradition, and most Sundays I make sure I enjoy a good plate of pasta with my wife and my boys. It’s really funny and lovely to see them, in their turn, arguing over the last portion.

Pasta provides a fantastic foundation for putting together a balanced, nutritious meal. To help people create healthy meals, most health organisations recommend eating fewer fatty and sugary foods. Using pasta as a base for meals, it’s easy to add ingredients from each of the other food groups: vegetables, protein and dairy. Bolognese sauce includes tomatoes, mushrooms, carrots, lean mince and a sprinkling of Parmesan, for example.

In particular, pasta is a great vehicle for adding more vegetables to our diet, helping us to achieve our 5-a-day. A whole host of vegetables can be added to (or hidden in!) pasta sauces – especially good news for fussy eaters who love pasta but are less keen on eating veg.

Pasta is also a great choice for people who follow a vegetarian diet – protein-rich alternatives to meat and fish, such as beans and nuts, are perfect for partnering with pasta in a sauce or salad. Finally, even people with an intolerance to wheat or gluten can enjoy pasta these days, thanks to an increasingly wide range of pastas based on corn, rice and even quinoa. The recipes overleaf represent some of my favourite ways to cut gluten out of a meal – and they are free from some other allergens, as well.

All my ingredients are widely available, so you don’t have to drive yourself mad looking for them. I have also chosen dishes that can be served to adults and children at the same time, just to make dinner a little easier.

All of them demonstrate that you don’t need to spend a lot of time in the kitchen to enjoy a great Italian dish and will tell you everything you need to know about cooking the perfect plate of pasta.

Minimum effort, maximum satisfaction! Buon appetito!