It’s hard to keep track of all the dates set aside to celebrate specific foods, but pasta gets a whole month of recognition in October. In honor of National Pasta Month, here are five comforting recipes featuring spaghetti, fettuccine, farfalle and other favorite noodle shapes.
Roasted Chicken, Bacon and Boursin with Spaghettini
As the head of culinary for fast casual Piada Italian Street Food, Chef Matt Harding knows his pasta. For this dish, he chooses thinner spaghetti or spaghettini that is cooked ahead and chilled. He then combines it with roasted chicken, crumbled bacon and a soft herbed cheese.
Farfalle with Butternut Squash, Walnuts and Grana Padano
Chef Joanne Weir frequently travels to Italy and other areas in the Mediterranean, a region that inspired this plant-forward pasta dish. The combination of butternut squash, toasted walnuts, garlic and sage spotlights fall colors and flavors.
Photograph courtesy of California Avocado Commission
California-style Pasta with Avocado
At the Sixth Street Grill in Eugene, Ore., the kitchen takes its housemade guacamole—typically served with Mexican Southwest menu items—and pairs it with fettuccine. The result is a uniquely West Coast-inspired dish with bold flavors and fresh accents.
Greek Lamb Pasta with Mint, Feta and Kefalograviera Cheese
Cava Mezze in Washington, D.C. is a neighborhood Greek restaurant where chef Dimitri Moshovitis sometimes gives his own spin to classic dishes. Lamb is a menu staple, and here it goes into a meat sauce spiced with coriander, fennel, cinnamon, cumin, rosemary and thyme. Fresh mint, feta and Greek kefalograviera cheese round out the dish.
Photograph courtesy of Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute
Seared Halibut Pasta with Pistachio Pesto and Roasted Tomatoes
Pasta with pesto is the most familiar pairing, but chef Maya Wilson of Addie Camp Dining Car changes it up by making her pesto with pistachios instead of the usual Italian pine nuts. She tosses it with angel hair pasta, adds roasted tomatoes and tops it all with seared halibut fillets.
University of Florida’s solution for feeding students in the midst of construction of a new dining hall has turned out so well, it will almost be a shame to see it go.
The endlessly colorful cuisine of Mexico is always in season, but Cinco de Mayo is a great time to bring some new recipes to the party, starting with El Rio Picante, an alternative marg, and finishing with DIY churro sundaes.