by Lynn Greene
Is perfect pasta POSSIBLE?
Al Dente brand has old-fashioned taste, texture
If you’re the founder of Al Dente Inc., perfect pasta
is not only possible, it’s your life’s work. I’m just mystified
why I never found this product before — they’ve been around
for 25 years already. All-natural Al Dente pasta was created
by Monique Deschaine. When you grow up in the ’50s and
’60s, in Warren, Ohio, with a name like Monique, I guess
you are just cut out to make your own brand.
That brand, Al Dente, consists of enriched noodles in a
variety of classic flavors. It’s a gourmet pasta — made
with durum and semolina flour with fresh eggs — that cooks
in only three minutes. If you’ve ever made homemade pasta,
you know that is a hallmark of doing it the old-fashioned
way — the pasta, even after it is dried, cooks up to al
dente (firm to the teeth) in just minutes.
I’ve tried three of the fettuccine varieties: egg, spinach
and three pepper. They’re all good. A 12-ounce cello package
sells for about $2.80. The line also includes basil, fiesta,
whole wheat, wild mushroom, squid ink, garlic parsley,
red chili pepper and lemon chive. Linguine varieties include
the traditional egg as well as spinach and spicy sesame.
The Carba-Nada line of pasta is a reduced carb pasta, so
if you’re on one of those diets, you can still have your
pasta and eat it too. If you can’t find the pasta in a
store near you, the company does offer online sales at
www.aldentepasta.com.
You’ll find more recipes online as well, but for now, here
are some to get your going:
Al Dente pasta salad with smoked salmon
Serves 4-8
1/3-1/2 lb. smoked salmon
3 cucumbers, sliced lengthwise then seeded and sliced
3 tomatoes, diced
3 scallions, chopped
12 ounces Al Dente pasta, any flavor
Dressing:
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup oil (olive, peanut, or vegetable)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Whisk together the vinegar, mustard, and seasonings. Slowly
add the oil until combined.
Cook Al Dente pasta as directed for 3 minutes. Drain well
and rinse with cold water. Combine pasta with dressing
and all other ingredients. Season to taste. Refrigerate.
Pasta with shrimp and peas
1 lb. shrimp, peeled
1 cup fresh peas, or 10 oz. frozen, cook until tender
2 cloves minced garlic
3 Tbsps. butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 green onions, sliced
1 bag (12 oz.) Al Dente pasta
Heat the butter in skillet. Add the shrimp and garlic
and saute over medium-high heat until shrimp turns pink.
Add cream and peas. Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss
it all together with the green onion.
Baked pasta with chicken
Serves 6-8
1 bag Al Dente pasta
2 lbs. chicken thighs, in 1 inch cubes
1/4 cup olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 lb. mushrooms, sliced
1/3 lb. gruyere or swiss cheese, grated
1 cup chicken broth
Toss vegetables with all but 2 Tbsp. of the olive oil.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until tender, but firm.
Place pasta in baking dish greased with olive oil. Top
with chicken, then mushrooms, then cheese. Pour chicken
broth over all. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.
Fettuccine Alfredo
Serves 4-8
3 Tbsps. butter
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
12 ounces Al Dente pasta (your favorite flavor)
Melt butter in heavy skillet. Add cream, heating gently
for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to directions
on package. Drain pasta and toss with cream, adding Parmesan
cheese, salt and pepper.
Variations: Add any of the following to make a main dish.
• Breast of chicken, julienne, green peppers, slivered
almonds.
• Shrimp, pea pods, carrots and garlic.
Lynn Greene is senior editor for Community Shoppers Inc., which publishes the Stateline News. Contact her at lgreene@communityshoppers.com. |
