WORLD PASTA DAY!

Would you believe, pasta has been eaten since at least 5,000 B.C, so not surprisingly, it has its own celebration day on Monday October 25th.

During the 14th and 15th centuries pasta was a great hit, due to its easy storage, which meant it was allowed on ships, when exploring the New World.

Despite its longevity, Pasta Day was only established in 1995, when 40 pasta producers from around the world gathered for the inaugural World Pasta Congress. 

5 Fun Facts about pasta:

1. There are over 600 pasta shapes; lesser known ones, gigli – resembling a bell-shaped flower; rotelle – wagon wheels, mafaldine, ribbon-shaped, and anelli, thin circles.

2. There are more than 50 distinct types of pasta. Some of the names are less appetising. Linguine means little tongues; orecchiette is little ears and vermicelli translates, as little worms!

3. The world’s largest bowl of pasta weighed 7,900kg. The world record was set in Poland, in 2015, when 40 chefs took 19 hours to complete and prepare it. We wondered who ate it?

4. Chef, Gordon Ramsay set a new Guinness World Record in 2017, for the longest pasta sheet rolled in 60 seconds. He produced a sheet which was 144.78 cm long.

5. The Sunday Times most popular online recipe is a pasta dish – a recipe for baked macaroni cheese.

6 alternative pastas for people who have allergies or intolerance?

1. Brown Rice Pasta is a gluten-free pasta, which works well as a substitute in most traditional pasta dishes.

2. Shirataki Noodles, are made from glucomannan, which is a type of fibre extracted from the root of the konjac plant. However, shirataki noodles contribute almost no calories or nutrients to your diet. Therefore, they need to be served with healthy toppings.

3. Chickpea Pasta is a newer type of gluten-free pasta. Very similar to normal pasta, though with a chickpea flavour and slightly chewier.

4. Quinoa Pasta is also a gluten-free substitute, made from quinoa and blended with other grains, such as rice and corn. It has a slightly grainy texture and a nutty flavour.

5. Soba Noodles are made from buckwheat flour. Like quinoa, they have a nutty flavour, are chewy with a grainy texture.

6. You can also buy multi-grain pasta, which is made up of a blend of different grains, such as corn, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, rice and amaranth.

Creative Nature Recipes:

If you have a spiral vegetable slicer, you can create pasta-like strands from vegetables like courgettes, sweet potatoes and carrots. Serve with your favourite sauces and protein.

Here are two recipes to whet your appetite and don’t forget you can buy our superfood products for these here.

Barley Grass Vegan Pesto Pasta Sauce:

Ingredients for sauce:

• 2 cups of loosely packed fresh basil
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2tps Creative Nature Barley Grass
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Gluten-free Pasta of your choice to serve with the pesto sauce.

Instructions:

While your pasta is cooking.

1. Rinse and pat dry your basic leaves, then remove any longer stems.
2. Add about half of the olive oil, and all of the lemon juice into a blender or food processor.  Add basil leaves, barley grass powder and garlic.
3. Blend well, then add your remaining olive oil, and continue to blend.
4. Stir in your salt and pepper, then serve with your pasta.

Creamy Green Vegan Pasta

Ingredients:

• 300g gluten-free pasta
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 60g dairy free butter
• 200g sugar snap pears, finely chopped
• 1 large green pepper, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 white onion, finely chopped
• 200g sliced mushrooms
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp English mustard
• 60g gluten-free flour
• 30g Creative Nature Hemp Protein Powder
• 10g Creative Nature Barley Grass Powder
• 250ml vegetable stock
• 140 ml plant milk

Instructions:

1. Cook your pasta as per instructions.
2. Add the oil, dairy-free butter to a pan and sauté the onion, garlic, pepper, sugarsnap peas and mushrooms along with the thyme and paprika, until softened.
3. Add the mustard, hemp protein, barley grass powder and flour to the pan, mix well and cook for 3 – 4 minutes, until the flour has cooked and the mixture has thickened.
4. Slowly add the vegetable stock and milk until a smooth and creamy sauce has formed.
5. Mix the pasta through and cook for a further 2 – 3 minutes until hot.