My landlady in Florence once offered this truth: Pasta never made anybody

fat.

I know it sounds incredible, but she was really right. Let me put it another

way. Pasta never made anybody fat all by itself.

Italians eat pasta all the time. Many Italians eat pasta twice a day. In

fact, on average Italians eat 60 pounds of pasta a year versus our 20 pounds

or less. But Italians aren't as fat as Americans. Not by a long shot.

How is this possible? It's because of the amount of pasta they eat at one

sitting, and what they put on top of it.

When Americans think of pasta, many think of heaping plates of noodles

swimming in some rich sauce or covered by meatballs. Our seam-splitting

portions, which are more like what you might find at an Italian wedding

feast, are not the usual Italian way.

Pasta is, in my opinion, a dream food. It's versatile, flavorful, and easy

to make. It provides a healthy blend of carbs and protein, vitamins and

fiber. Eaten the Italian way (which is to say, sparingly by American

standards), it fills you up, but it doesn't fill you out.

You won't find Pasta Alfredo on many tables in Italy. And the original has

morphed into so many variations of cream and garlic sauces that it's almost

unrecognizable from what was first served in Rome over a hundred years ago.

Italians don't usually eat something this rich. (Fettucine Alfredo was

invented to entice a sick woman into eating after the birth of her child, and

it didn't include garlic.)Plus, they eat smaller portions of pasta than we

do. Americans tend to eat too much at one meal!

In Italy, if the pasta is served before a main course of fish or meat, two

ounces per person is standard. (Remember, it doubles in size when it's

cooked.) If pasta is going to be your main course, that may be a little

skimpy. For me, three ounces works better, and I like to eat it with a lot of

vegetables.

Not that I measure it. I either prepare an entire package and use the rest

later, or I eyeball just enough for a serving in a wide, flat Italian pasta

dish (like a large, wide soup bowl.) Consider that a one-pound box of

spaghetti serves a family of four generously. So use a quarter of a box or

less. Sometimes much less.

And I don't care what anyone says. Plain pasta cooks up great as a

leftover. Just dump it in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, drain, and

serve.

The next cardinal sin is the way we Americans dress our pasta, or should I

say overdress it. I'm talking about the sauce. When you use good pasta, you

should actually be able to taste it. You can't if you drown it in too much

sauce. And it's the sauce that adds all those unnecessary calories.

This is one of the reasons why I advocate the use of high quality pasta.

I'm especially fond of the artisan brands from Italy - the kind that are

"extruded" through bronze dies. Yes, they're more expensive, but their

rough texture clings to the sauce so you don't need so much of it.

For a light sauce, I like just a drizzle of highest-quality extra virgin

olive oil, a shaving of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, and a sprinkle of salt.

Think of dressing your pasta in a light wrapper, rather than a heavy

overcoat. And believe it or not, for thick sauces, a tablespoon or two should

really do.

Now for that bum rap pasta gets as being the Diet Devil's favorite tool.

Hear this: Pasta is low in calories. Yes, you heard that right. It's also

filling, plus it's nutritious and easy to make.

Pasta is not the same as bread, cake, cookies, pastries and all those other

goodies that break down quickly during digestion, causing blood sugar levels

to spike and then plummet, which results in feelings of hunger and food

cravings.

Pasta cooked al dente, or "to the tooth", has a low glycemic index, which

means it has staying power. Eating it at one meal helps you to avoid feelings

of hunger that result in snacking before the next. But the pasta has to be

cooked al dente, the way the Italians like it.