Pasta dishes are among the heartiest and most delicious foods to enjoy in the winter months, especially. Although they’re great any time of year, in the winter you can cover up those extra pounds with a coat, so when you go for seconds you don’t experience the kind of nagging guilt you almost can’t escape in other seasons. Pasta dishes provide comfort and warmth that is unequaled by almost any other kind of food.
Spaghetti Puttanesca
This dish is brimming with flavor, but don’t try to serve it to someone who doesn’t like anchovies because that is the main thrust of this dish. Some people may argue that pasta dishes don’t have much nutritional value, but this is not necessarily so. Spaghetti Puttanesca is very nutritious, anchovies being rich in omega-3 fatty acids. A great way to enjoy a favorite pasta meal is knowing you’re helping lower your cholesterol while you’re at it. There is one more thing you might want to know: The name of the dish is supposedly derived from the puttanas or prostitutes who lived in Naples. It was an easy dish to make in-between “appointments.” It may or may not be something you want to serve on a first date, just in case your date knows this.
Macaroni and Cheese
Who hasn’t experienced the awesome delight of this dish? Most people can remember it from their childhoods, making it the comfort food of comfort foods. A mac and cheese casserole brings back so many fond memories to so many people that it’s got to be therapeutic. When you find yourself caught up in the winter doldrums, wishing you were on a beach somewhere in the tropics, a piping hot serving or two (or three) of this dish will undoubtedly lighten your heart and, yes, that is about all it will lighten, but remember what I said at the beginning.
Pasta Fagioli
This is yet another heartwarming dish made with pasta and beans. Some vegetarian dishes lack the heartiness that is needed for cold, winter days, but pasta fagioli leaves you feeling pleasantly full and satisfied. The beans are bursting with protein, and the tender ditalini pasta adds its own unique elegance to this peasant dish. It’s so quick and easy to make that you can whip up a batch in no time at all, while it’s delicious enough to taste like you spent hours on it. You can make a big pot of it and put it in the refrigerator for a few days. It will taste as fresh as the day you made it when you heat it up.
We could go on for hours talking about the wonders of winter cuisine with pasta. These are just a few of my favorites, and I’m sure you have your own. If winter isn’t exactly your favorite season, pasta dishes can certainly see you through it. If winter is your favorite season, pasta dishes can make it even better.