When Eating Pasta: Red or White?
Many people have e-mailed me to ask a common question about eating in Italian restaurants. The question concerns what type of sauce they should request with their pasta. You might think that this is a simple matter, but you would be wrong. I kid you not when I tell you that the type of sauce you order will determine your entire dining experience. No matter how fresh the pasta is (the best places do NOT use dried pasta), it is the sauce that will make or break it. But before I give you my humble opinion, let's discuss a little background on pasta sauce.
Basically, all pasta sauces are either cream or tomato based. For simplicity's sake, let's call them "red" or "white." Even when a sauce is described as "dripping with basil, oregano, and a hint of pomegranate oil," it must fall into either the red or white category. That is because the flour in most fine pasta needs a strong ingredient that will transfer its flavor. Pasta itself has very little taste. When we eat it, we are experiencing the texture more than anything else. However, when combined with a sauce based on a strong ingredient, the whole dish takes on and enhances the taste of the ingredient. Throughout history, the two ingredients that have been found to be the best at flavor transfer are cream and tomatoes.
Cream based sauces are extremely rich. They may contain all sorts of vegetables and even seafood. The problem I have with them is that unless they are used in very small quantities, they overpower the pasta and are simply too filling. After a fine meal, one should never feel the need to lie down and sleep. One should feel like talking a walk, slow dancing, or getting intimate with that special person. This will simply not happen if you insist on ordering pasta with a cream sauce.
Tomatoes contain an amino acid that actually acts as both a natural stimulant, a relaxant, and according to some, an aphrodisiac. Mark my word, you will have a great evening out if you go "red." And by the way, try not to order white wine with red pasta. Stick to a nice Merlot.
