Some of you must be reading the subject heading, thinking: “What? How can that be? It’ rice, not pasta.” I thought so too until recently, when an international survey showed that pasta has overtaken rice as the world’s most popular staple. I recall reading a piece a couple years ago on the BBC website about a particular African nation, can’t remember which, where spaghetti had overtaken rice due to the increasing cost of importing rice and wheat, plus an easier way to feed the masses due to the food crisis. Initially I thought it was a local issue unique to that country until earlier this summer.

Oxfam, a world-respected NGO, conducted a survey on the world’s most popular food. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this trailblazing organisation, according to their website, “Oxfam is an international confederation of 15 organisations working together in 98 countries and with partners and allies around the world to find lasting solutions to poverty and injustice”. The results were published in June of this year. I meant to write about this in my column earlier, but realised I had posted it on my Facebook page, discussed it with my followers there, and never got around to penning the piece until now. Some 16,000 people were surveyed in 17 countries. The top 10 of the world’s most popular foods are:

1. Pasta

2. Meat

3. Rice

4. Pizza

5. Chicken

6. Fish and Seafood

7. Vegetables

8. Chinese

9. Italian

10. Mexican

The reason this subject matter appealed to me, and the fact that the number one food was listed as pasta, is because strictly from an unscientific sense, and purely based on the trend from my personal reader e-mails, the number one request I tend to get is for more pasta recipes. Regular readers know that I like to write according to the season, a theme and current food trends in order to keep my columns fresh. However, there are times, such as mango season in keeping with a theme and current food trends in order and the obvious holiday periods, when subject matter is repeated. I try to slip in pasta recipes where I can, and today is my second piece dedicated solely to pasta, based on its current prominence from a global perspective in terms of price and convenience.

Pasta is Italian in origin and made from ground wheat, typically durum for commercial dry pasta and soft wheat for homemade fresh pasta. Nowadays for people who suffer from gluten- related illnesses there are wholegrain, brown rice and oat-based pasta varieties. Naturally the textures of these differ, as well as cooking times. Due to its versatility, it is no surprise that the international community has embraced this staple, and it is commonly found in many homes regardless of traditional fare. It is one of those truly democratic food types.

Pasta comes in different shapes: string, round, flat, ribbon, long, short, rice – plus levels of thickness from thin to thick, and this is not just to be aesthetically pleasing, but practical too. Some shapes are better for heavier sauces, others for lighter ones. Examples of the above sizes and shapes are spaghetti, farfalle, macaroni, penne, tagliatelle, linguine, fettuccine, and lasagna, which are found in most supermarkets. Whether you are going to have a hot or cold dish, the possibilities are endless. It doesn’t matter if you stick to classic Italian, add some Jamaican spice, or create something unique. There is, pun intended, “a world of choice”.

JuicyChef’s 3 P’s

I call this the 3 P’s because the main ingredients are pasta, peas and Parmesan. It’s simple, easy to cook and delicious. I know that we are not supposed to eat too much of this fat, but this is a butter-based versus olive oil-based sauce. Buttery peas are divine when coated with cheese and fragrant basil. This is great for a Meatless Monday meal if you are practising this lifestyle or for lacto-ovo vegetarians who can consume diary.

Ingredients:

1 pack pasta, cooked according to package directions

1 bag of frozen peas

Chunk of Parmesan, grated

1 large onion, chopped

85g/ 1/3 cup butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Bunch of basil

Method:

Cook pasta.

In a large frying pan over medium heat, melt butter and sauté onions.

Add frozen peas to onions and one tablespoon of cooking water from pasta and heat until cooked through, season with salt and pepper.

Drain pasta and add to peas and onions, mix together.

Top with shredded basil and Parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

Simple Pork Loin Steaks with Spaghetti

Instead of serving pork chops with rice or potatoes, try it with spaghetti for an alternative treat. This recipe serves 4.

Ingredients:

8 pork loin steaks

Salt and pepper

1 sprig of fresh Rosemary

1 bottle of Marinara Sauce

1 package of spaghetti, cooked according to directions

Olive oil

Method:

Brush pork loin steaks with olive oil, season with salt, pepper and rosemary and grill until cooked through.

Boil spaghetti until al dente.

Warm marinara sauce until heated through.

Divide pasta amongst 4 plates, top with sauce and 2 pork loin steaks each, garnish with herbs.

Many thanks to my weekly sponsors Megamart.

Contact me at juicycheffoodmedia@gmail.com

Bon Appétit!