How many of you have a favorite meal? I know my youngest grandson would say pancakes, my oldest would say steak, my hubby would vote for cherry pie, and mine would be anything pasta!

While Marco Polo is described as the explorer who “discovered” pasta, he really just imported it from China. It seems that the Chinese had been eating noodles made of millet as far back as 2000 BC. Excavators even unearthed a bowl of millet noodles that were estimated to be over 4000 years old.

Cooking a great bowl of pasta that is not sticky, is relatively simple.

Things to Remember:

1. Pasta need a lot of water to keep it from clumping and sticking together. You should be able to see the pasta rolling around in boiled water—much like children reveling in the ocean

2. Fill your big pasta pot ¾ full of COLD water

3. Bring water to a rapid boil. Covering the pot will do this more quickly

4. Add salt as this brings out the flavor of the pasta, and DOES NOT add to the sodium level of any recipes you may be using. Use @ 2 Tablespoons per pound of pasta — remember most of it will drain off.

5. Skip putting oil in the pot as this will prevent any sauces to stick to the noodles

6. Add the pasta all at once to the boiling water and stir with a wooden spoon to prevent the pasta from sticking together or adhering to the bottom of the pan

7. Keep the water boiling, turning down slightly if the water starts to boil over

8. The cooking time on packages is just a “guesstimate”. Most pastas cook in the 8-12 minute range. You may check for doneness after about 4 minutes. REMEMBER that pasta can overcook quickly.

“Al Dente—Italian for “to the tooth”. This is when your pasta is tender but firm when you try a piece. Avoid mushy, crunchy. Pasta will continue to cook after it has been taken from the water, so factor that in

Italian Tip Fulvia Guyger: When pasta has reached the “al dente” stage, turn off your stove and add approximately ½ to 1 cup cold water to the pot. This will lower the water’s temperature and stop the cooking process

9. Drain immediately into colander and shake to release excess water

10. Don’t rinse as the starch that makes the pasta stick helps the sauce to stick as well. The exception would be lasagna noodles or any other wide noodle like it, as without rinsing they will stick together and there goes your lasagna!

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Penne in Cilantro Sauce

2 eggs
3 cups penne pasta
2 cups milk
1 tablespoon flour
2 bunches cilantro
3 cloves garlic
1 tomato
1 onion
1 red bell pepper
1 tablespoon Red Chilly flakes
2 tablespoons Oil
As per taste salt

1. Cut into dices the onion, tomato , red bell pepper.

2. Make a paste of cilantro and garlic into a smooth paste (It will a little watery but its fine)

3. Boil the pasta with some salt and little oil (Seasoning the pasta while boiling is very important. And adding oil prevents the pasta from sticking to one another).

4. When the pasta is cooked remove it on a big bowl that can be used for baking as well.

5. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and softy break the eggs on to the pan in such a way that the yolks are not disturbed. Add a pinch of salt on top of it and slightly fry it from both sides and remove it on a plate.

6. Heat oil in the pan , and add the onion when it turns translucent and the diced pepper and salt and fry when done add the tomatoes and fry .

7. To the pan add the flour and stirring constantly add the milk see that it doesn't form lump.

8. When the sauce is slightly cooked add the cilantro paste and cook it for another 5 min.

9. Pour the sauce on the pasta and add red chilly flakes and mix everything properly. Bake for 2 min.

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