Pasta is one of my favorite food and it’s almost always my go-to choice when I need some good ol’ comfort food. So you can only imagine how crazy I got when I was in Italy!…Oh the choices we had. Did you know there are more than 500 types of pasta noodles? Authentic pasta dishes are not over-sauced like the ones we are used to Simple and rustic, every ingredient shines through!

Here are some pictures of deliciousness we’ve encountered in Italy… do you notice how simple they all seem? Yet they were all packed with great flavors that I’ve never had before, I really could taste every ingredients! The tomatoes there have this indescribable depth to them, very complex with both savory and sweet qualities, and not at all acidic. A plate of pasta with “plain” tomato sauce was definitely not plain at all. (Even the ketchup packets tasted different: much stronger flavors with darker color, not as sweet and tangy like Heinz ketchup.)

Left column, top to bottom-

• Penne with a simple tomato herb sauce. Delicious!

• Gnocchi al Burro e Salvia (butter and sage) served with a piece of focaccia, on the right- Lasagne Bolognese. The gnocchi’s texture was so fluffy and light, the coat of sage and butter sauce was not at all greasy nor too rich. A little really goes a long way!

• Spaghetti Carbonara. On the right- Pici Melanzane Ricotta (Eggplant). Torta della Nonna for dessert. I love the usage of eggplant in pasta!

Right column, top to bottom-

• Bigoli asparagi pomodoro (tomato and asparagus)

• (forgot the name)..something alla Roma. Basically a Roman-style creamy tomato sauce base with large sheets of noodles (lasagna-like, but not baked). Not the prettiest presentation but was one of my favorite pasta of the trip.

• Mezze maniche rigate con piselli e funghi. (mushroom with peas) Second favorite of the trip. Again, a very light coat of cream sauce, almost nonexistent to the eye, but you really don’t need anymore than that.

• Rigatoni Bolognese. Third favorite pasta! I am so inspired to make bolognese pasta that’s as tasty as this!

Buon appetito!