October 17th is National Pasta Day. Yesterday we published one special pasta recipe. Here’s another.

Some people like to have an antipasto plate before the pasta course.

But this recipe from DeLallo combines them together. It’s fun food, mixing antipasto ingredients into the pasta.

Your plate of pasta is loaded up with pepperoni, olives, artichokes, zesty pickled pepper rings and smoky roasted tomatoes.

If your favorite antipasto ingredient is missing from this list, just toss it in!

We had some prosciutto in the fridge, so we added that as well as bocconcini, which we halved and used as a garnish.

The recipe follows. If you have trouble finding the best Italian ingredients locally, check the DeLallo website.

It has everything an Italian food lover could ask for.
 
 
RECIPE: ANTIPASTO PASTA

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BRING 5 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.

2. HEAT the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the tomato paste and pasta water. Cook for 1 minute while stirring. Add the pepperoni, olives, tomatoes, artichokes and pepper rings. Cook until heated through, about 4-5 minutes.

3. ADD the cooked pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine. Serve divided on plates or family-style.
 
 
> The Different Types Of Pasta

> The History Of Pasta

[1] Combine the antipasto with a plate of spaghetti (both photos © DeLallo).

[2] Delallo is an excellent source for top-quality Italian ingredients.

*We used unmarinated canned artichokes, since most of the marinated artichokes we’ve tried have been too salty for us. Also, the recipe doesn’t need the extra, cheaper oil, even though the marinated hearts are drained.

†The difference between spaghetti and fettuccine: Both are in the category called “long cuts” or “ribbon pasta.” The main difference is that spaghetti is round, and fettuccine is flat and wider. As a comparison, a thinner version of spaghetti is spaghettini; a thicker version is spaghettoni. A thinner version of fettuccine is linguine, a thicker version is tagliatelle. Even wider is pappardelle.

October 17th is National Pasta Day, October is National Pasta Month. Most celebrants will head for their favorites. Fettuccine Alfredo? Lasagna? Spaghetti and meatballs?

We think it calls for something different and special. How about a recipe you’ve never had before?

This one from DeLallo has a sauce unlike you’ve never had: both goat cheese and mascarpone, blended with fig spread, orange juice and chicken broth.

It’s cheesy, fruity and savory—and topped with crumbled prosciutto.

The DeLallo recipe uses a form of pasta we’ve never made: tagliatelle nests (photo #3). Because we didn’t have the time to experiment with cooking the nests (it’s supposed to be easy), we defaulted to fettuccine ribbons.
 
 
WHAT ARE TAGLIATELLE NESTS

“Tagliatelle is an interesting type of pasta,” says Jacqui of The Pasta Project, a great resource for any pasta lover who wants to know more about the different cuts and recipes that show them off.

“[Tagliatelle] pasta ribbons have to have a particular width (normally 6-8mm wide). Make them too narrow and they could become fettuccine. Thinner still, and you may end up with bavette or tagliolini. Make them too wide and they turn into pappardelle.”

She gives us a history of tagliatelle, below.
 
 
Why Are Tagliatelle Sold In Nests?

Tagliatelle are typically found in nest forms. You’ve probably seen them tagliatelle nests in photos if not in person (photos #3 and #4).

Why sell them in nests?

For cooks who want to present the pasta in a different format, nests are ready-made bundles of individual portions.

You can find nests in angel hair, fettuccine (photo #3) and other ribbons, as well.

Some cooks like nests because with wider noodles, according to some sources, there is a greater problem with the flat sides sticking together and cooking unevenly.

You need to spend more time over the pot with a pasta fork, separating the strands.

When the wide, flat noodles are sold as a nest, they go into the pot already separated, and adherence between strands is minimal [source].
 
 
RECIPE: TAGLIATELLE (OR FETTUCCINE) WITH PROSCIUTTO & GOAT CHEESE-MASCARPONE-FIG SAUCE

Ingredients

 
Want some more color? Toss in some green peas.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange the prosciutto in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until crispy. Transfer the prosciutto to a paper towel-lined plate to cool. Once cooled, crumble and set aside. Meanwhile…

2. BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain.

3. COMBINE the fig spread, chicken broth, orange juice, salt and pepper in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in cheeses and lemon zest until sauce thickens.

4. TOSS the hot pasta with the sauce and stir until well coated. Serve topped with the crumbled prosciutto.

[1] This recipe is an unusual combination of ingredients that’s a creative success (photos #1, #2 and #3 © DeLallo).

[2] The sauce uses some fig jam/fig spread. If you can’t find it locally, get it online from DeLallo. Use the rest of it on a cheese board or with ham, grilled cheese or turkey sandwiches.

[3] Nests are available in fettuccine (above), tagliatelle, even angel hair.

[4] Why use nests? To create charming recipes like this, “portion-controlled” (photo © Ina Wesual | Unsplash).

The legend is that tagliatelle was invented in 1487, when Giovanni II of Bentivoglio, Lord of Bologna, asked his chef to prepare a banquet in honor of Lucrezia Borgia.

Lucrezia was stopping in Bologna on her way to Ferrara to marry Duke Alfonso D’Este. Bentivoglio wanted to honor the bride-to-be.

(Don’t think of him as Mr. Nice Guy: He was a tyrant.)

The chef, Mastro Zefirano, cooked a memorable banquet which included a new style of pasta. The Maestro cut wide lasagne ribbons, made with egg, into long golden strips of pasta, in honor of the bride’s legendary blonde hair.

This pasta became known as tagliatelle from the Italian tagliare, to cut.

Fun story, but according to Wikipedia, this was a joke invented by humorist Augusto Majani in 1931.

Alas, he did not provide more of a history. Search back and you find that tagliatelle and its flat cousins originated in the Emilia-Romagna of Northern Italy, dating back to the 15th century. It has become a traditional pasta in most areas of North and Central Italy.

Tagliatelle was originally always made as an egg pasta (as was the wider tagliolini). However, today, you can often find it as a durum pasta, as well.

Today, many pasta companies make tagliatelle by extrusion and sell it dried in nests form, for people who want to serve individual nests (see photo # 4) [source].

[1] Porter’s Rye Way To Hell: great name, delicious drink (both photos © Ogden’s Own Distillery).

[2] You don’t have to be as tough as this gunslinger to enjoy a shot of Porter’s Rye. See his story in the section below.

On this socially-distant Halloween, here’s a fun way to celebrate Halloween with your pod.

The recipe is courtesy of Porter’s Small Batch Rye, an artisan rye handcrafted by Ogden’s Own in Utah.

Recipe notes:

 
For the “evil apple” garnish (see photo #1), you’ll want an apple variety that browns very slowly, or not at all. These varieties include Ambrosia, Cortland, Empire and Gala apples.

If you want to use the apples as garnishes for individual glasses, get the smallest ones you can find. You may also need straws so the drink can be sipped through the apple’s core.
 
 
COCKTAIL RECIPE: PORTER’S RYE WAY TO HELL PUNCH

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. MIX the rye, apple cider and and bitters in a large drink dispenser or punch bowl. It can be mixed and stored up to two days before serving, to infuse the flavors. Before serving…

2. ADD in the hard cider and ice. Enhance the taste with additional bitters as desired. When ready to celebrate and enjoy, rim each party glass with a drizzle of absinthe†. Add ice cubes to glass and pour in the infusion. Garnish glasses and punch bowl with a crew of spooky carved apples for a hair-raising experience when served.

Porter’s Rye Whiskey is a 95/5 blend of rye and barley. This 90 proof straight rye whiskey is aged in heavily charred new oak barrels for more than three years.

American rye whiskey is similar to bourbon, but must be distilled from at least 51% rye‡ grain.

Rye whiskey was the most popular type of whiskey in the U.S. until the start of Prohibition in 1919.

Rye has been going through a resurgence in recent years, with both artisan distillers and big brands.

Ogden’s Own is first released approximately 1,000 cases of Porter’s Rye in 2019.

Who’s the man on the bottle?

The Porter’s whiskey line is named for Orrin Porter Rockwell, a notorious gunslinger and enforcer in the Old West. It is said that he killed more outlaws than Wyatt Earp, Doc Holladay, Tom Horn and Bat Masterson combined, earning him the menacing title, the “Destroying Angel.”

Paradoxically, he was a devout Church member and bodyguard for both Joseph Smith, founder of the Latter Day Saint Movement, and Brigham Young, who succeeded him.

Back to the rye:

Rye whiskies are produced in both the U.S. (e.g. Jim Beam) and Canada (e.g. Canadian Club).

However, Canadian whiskey, which is often referred to and labeled as rye whisky for historical reasons, may or may not actually include any rye grain in its production process [source].

Historically, in Canada, corn-based whisky that had some rye grain added to the mash to give it more flavor, came to be called rye. So if you’re looking for real rye, ask or stick with a big brand (all Canadian Club expressions are rye-based).

But—we say this as patriotic Americans—stick to American brands to be sure.
 

 
 
> CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF WHISKEY IN OUR WHISKEY GLOSSARY
 
 
________________

*For a punch bowl, freeze a block of ice in advance. You can use a bundt pan or other mold to create an attractive shape (we use a star-shaped gelatin mold).The larger the piece of ice, the slower it will melt. Ice cubes will melt much faster than a block of ice, and will dilute the punch that much faster.

†We used a Q-Tip.

‡Bourbon can be made from 51% corn or rye, and can be a blend of both.

If you’ve never cooked polenta, it’s a great comfort food—and gluten-free, too. We don’t know why Americans don’t eat more of it—and more parsnips, too, while we’re at it.

(Parsnips [photo #2] are one of the delicious fall vegetables roasted for this recipe.)

Fall and winter months beg for a dish of warm, creamy polenta.

Roast your favorite fall vegetables to top this recipe—and roast extra, so you’ll have them for the next day or two.

Then, set it off with a rich pumpkin cream sauce, with notes of cinnamon and nutmeg.

We’ve also made and enjoyed the recipe without the cream sauce—but substituted lots of freshly grated parmesan.

> There are more polenta recipes below.

> What is polenta?

> Cornmeal vs. polenta.

National Polenta Day is October 9th.

> See the year’s 17 corn holidays below.

> Also below, the history of polenta.
 
 
RECIPE: PUMPKIN SAGE POLENTA WITH ROASTED VEGETABLES

Ingredients For The Polenta

 
For The Roasted Vegetables

 
For The Cream Sauce

 
Preparation

1. PREHEAT the oven to 375˚F.

2. ROAST the vegetables. Toss the vegetables with olive oil in a large mixing bowl and arrange on a nonstick baking sheet. Sprinkle with sage, salt and pepper.

Roast the vegetables for 25-30 minutes, or until soft and caramelized. Meanwhile…

3. MAKE the sauce. Warm the heavy cream and butter in a saucepan. Once the butter has melted, stir in 1/4 cup of the pumpkin, the parmesan, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt.

Keep warm on a low simmer until it’s time to serve.

4. COOK the polenta. In a sauce pot, bring the water, chicken stock, and butter to a boil. Slowly whisk in the polenta. Continuously stirring, cook for about 1 minute, or until the polenta begins to thicken.

Remove from the heat. Stir in 1 cup of the pumpkin, the sage, and the salt.

5. SERVE. Divide the polenta into individual bowls and top with the roasted vegetables and a generous drizzle of cream sauce.
 
 
MORE POLENTA RECIPES

 
 
THE YEAR’S 17 CORN HOLIDAYS

 
Plus

 
 
THE HISTORY OF POLENTA

Polenta as we know it today—made from cornmeal—actually has roots that predate the arrival of corn in Europe.

The word “polenta” comes from Latin, meaning hulled, crushed grain (and closely related to the Latin word “pollen,” which means fine flour or powder.

Ancient Romans ate a similar porridge made from various grains like barley and farro, and ground, dried legumes like chickpea flour.

A quick note:

 
Polenta, viewed as a comfort food today, was simple peasant food that sustained people across the Italian peninsula.

The transformative moment for porridge came after Christopher Columbus’s voyages to the Americas in the late 15th century, when corn (maize) was brought back to Europe.

Corn thrived in northern Italy, particularly in the Veneto and Lombardy regions, and by the 16th and 17th centuries, cornmeal polenta had become a staple food for the rural poor. It was filling, inexpensive, and could be prepared in large batches.

However, there was a dark side—many people who subsisted almost entirely on corn-based polenta came developed pellagra, a disease caused by niacin deficiency.

Natural corn lacks certain nutrients and while the indigenous peoples of the Americas learned to treat it with alkali, a process that wasn’t adopted in Europe‡.

Over time, polenta evolved from peasant food to beloved regional specialty. In the 20th century, especially in recent decades, it’s experienced a culinary renaissance, appearing in upscale restaurants and home kitchens worldwide.

Today it’s enjoyed in countless forms—creamy and soft porridge as a side or first course, grilled and crispy rectangles or cubes with a sauce, and served with everything from wild mushrooms to braised meats (information via Claude A.I.).

[1] Pumpkin sage polenta: It’s a beauty (photo © DeLallo).

[2] Make sure you use canned pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices (photo © Jessica Gavin: Culinary Scientist).

[3] Fresh sage is also wonderful with white beans, in pasta, or fried crispy in butter as a delectable garnish (photo © Good Eggs).

[4] When you don’t have 45 minutes to stir the pot, instant polenta is a great time saver. If you can’t find it locally, order it from DeLallo (photo © DeLallo).

[5] For the roasted veggies, the recipe calls for butternut squash, which easy to find and easier to cut than acorn squash. But you can substitute any winter squash, including fresh pumpkin (photo © Hawk Haven Vineyard).

[6] The parsnip, Pastinaca sativa, is a root vegetable closely related to carrots and parsley*, and very underutilized in U.S. cooking. Add it to the pan whenever you’re roasting vegetables (photo © Einladung zum Essen | Pixabay).

[7] Another favorite fall vegetable for roasting (photo © Sweetgreen).

[8] Roasted red onions add deep purple-burgundy hues to roasted vegetable medleys. They also tend to be a bit crisper than yellow onions, for a better texture (photo © Umami Information Center).

*Parsnips belong to the Apiaceae family, which also includes anise, asafoetida (a spice used in Indian recipes), caraway, celery, chervil, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel and lovage, among others. Why don’t Americans eat more parsnips, a delicious vegetable?

†This strange-sounding holiday commemorates the invention of the first large-scale commercial oil popcorn popper by Charles Cretors in 1885, enabling popcorn to be sold at fairs, theaters, and elsewhere to the happy public.

‡Nixtamalization, the process of soaking the corn kernels in alkaline water (lime water—calcium hydroxide), unlocks nutrients trapped in forms that our bodies can’t otherwise absorb. Of key importance is niacin (vitamin B3). The alkaline solution breaks these chemical bonds and releases the niacin into a form that can be absorbed. This is why the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica didn’t suffer from pellagra, while Europeans eating untreated cornmeal often did.

The lime water also adds calcium to the corn, and also improves the availability of certain amino acids, particularly lysine, making the corn protein more complete and nutritious. The process also changes the corn’s texture and flavor, making it easier to grind and giving it that distinctive taste found in tortillas, tamales, and other traditional Mexican foods.

How did the early Mesoamericans develop this brilliant piece of food technology thousands of years ago to make their corn-based diets nutritionally sustainable. Since it happened long before written records, we can only speculate. What we do know, based on archaeological evidence, is that nixtamalization appears to have originated 1500-1200 B.C.E. The why and how is mostly educated speculation. The leading theories:

Accidental discovery: The most likely scenario is that someone noticed beneficial changes when corn accidentally came into contact with lime (calcium hydroxide from wood ash or limestone). Perhaps corn was cooked near a fire pit where alkaline ash mixed with water, or stored in containers that had held lime. People would have noticed the corn became softer, easier to grind, tasted better, and kept them healthier.

Other thoughts: Practical problem-solving by the farmers, such as how to remove the tough outer hull, how to make corn easier to grind, or how to improve its flavor and shelf life. The health benefits would have been a observed consequence rather than the original goal.

Empirical observation over generations: While the indigenous peoples wouldn’t have understood nixtamalization in terms of niacin or amino acids, they would have noticed that communities eating treated corn were healthier, stronger, and more prosperous. This knowledge would have been preserved and passed down, even without understanding the biochemistry.

Many traditional food practices—fermentation, cooking methods, food combinations—developed through trial, error, and careful observation over centuries. People noticed patterns of cause and effect long before anyone understood vitamins or chemistry. The wisdom was empirical—verified by observation or experience rather than theory or pure logic—and passed down through the generations (information via Claude A.I.).
 
 

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] Acorn squash, one of the two most-available winter squash varieties for the table (photo © Kim Daniels | Unsplash).

[2] Tied for first place: butternut squash (photo © Good Eggs).

It’s a little bit of a chore to scrape the seeds out of an acorn, butternut or other winter squash*.

Here’s a tip: Use an ice cream scoop!

Another tip: Before you begin to slice the squash, place it in the microwave for 2 to 3 minutes. It will be a lot easier to peel, seed and cut.
 
 
ROASTING THE SEEDS

Some people clean the seeds to roast. We don’t have an easy way to do that yet, but here’s a thought:

You don’t have to remove every last bit of string and flesh pumpkin from the seeds.

 
You can also use sweet seasonings, trading oil and salt for maple syrup and brown sugar, plus optional fall spices: allspice, cinnamon, clove, ginger, nutmeg. A pinch of salt is a good addition.

We use the roasted seeds as a general garnish, in grains and salads, and in yogurt. Here are:

> 20 Uses For Roasted Winter Squash Seeds, Including Pumpkin

 
 
> HOW TO CUT & PEEL WINTER SQUASH
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF ACORN SQUASH

________________

*You can tell winter squash from its thick, hard exterior. You need force in order to slice into it. Acorn, butternut, delicata, hubbard, pumpkin, spaghetti squash and others are winter squash. Summer squash has a thin peel that can be eaten. Yellow squash and zucchini are examples.