Pasta and Why It's Super Delicious

I am not a real food person.  I'd like to think I know how to make real food and that in this sense I am more capable than most regular college kids, but truth is I incorrectly boiled potatoes the other day for mashed potatoes with dinner.  However, I have mastered the easy craft of making pasta, which is so very dissimilar from boiling potatoes.  As a baker, I also happen to love carbs like bread, cereal, pastries, oatmeal like things, and PASTA.  I'm italian, I can't help it.

As a kid, I could often be found knocking on my neighbor friend's door munching on a bag of cooked, cold pasta.  Don't ask why, I don't know.  It was delicious.  I don't need to explain.

Pasta is also a prefect medium for other flavors.  Pasta Primavera can have super-delicious fresh flavors like red pepper, asparagus, and olives while still being simple with a drizzle of olive oil and nothing else.  Whole wheat pasta works really well in a primavera.  Marinara sauce, though cliche and over-rated, is a classic flavor with meatballs and spaghetti.  Alfredo sauce is so super rich and fatty and carby that it can'r help but be super delicious.  Penne Alla Vodka is the perfect blend of creamy red sauce and little meat chunks and very subtle vodka undertones.  Pesto, especially with cheese tortellini, is so cheesy fresh and basilly.  And then that gets us into the whole stuffed pastas like Butternut squash raviolis in a brown butter and sage sauce or stuffed shells oozing ricotta and mozzarella.  It's all perfectly delicious.

You'd think with my only on-campus food option being a pasta place, I'd be happy.  Alas, I am not.  They tend to serve only random pasta options rather than the classics everyone know and love.  Also, they do things wrong.  I'm not claiming to be a super italian genius, but it's not real italian food, although the cannolis are good.  While I'm on the subject, Olive Garden and The Chateau are not real italian food either.

Anyway, I was lucky enough to steal some Annie's mac'n cheese when I was last home and have since learned how to make it in the microwave.  It's not as good, but it's still better than anything on my meal plan.