THIS MONTH'S (& OCT'S TOO)FOOD STORAGE FEATURED ITEM IS... PASTA!
Who doesn't have some Pasta on hand and it is soooo versatile... it can be used to create Italian Classics like Spaghetti, delicious Asian noodle dishes and who doesn't love very American Mac& Cheese. Here's what I know about Pasta.....

WHITE VS. WHOLE GRAIN PASTAS? How do I know which to choose & which to store?
Well, there is no question which variety is more nutritious for your family to be eating -- whole grain pastas! Whole Grain Pastas contain all 3 parts of the wheat - the bran, the germ and the endosperm. All together these provide a good balance of fiber, vitamins, texture and flavor. When wheat is processed into white flour and then used to make white pastas, the bran and germ are removed along with a substantial amount of fiber and vitamins.  Thus, White Pastas provide a nice texture and mild flavor for pairing with any number of sauces but they have very little nutritional value. Some manufacturers try adding vitamins back into "enriched" pastas but very seldom do they add enough to fully replace the natural nutrients that occur in whole grains. OK, so on a regular basis, the best choice is to feed your family Whole Grain Pastas -- no argument. BUT, how about for food storage? Well, the very components that make whole grain pasta healthy (bran & germ), also make it a very short-term storage item. Bran and germ are subject to spoilage. So, if you want the nutritious value of whole grain pastas, choose to store them but know that they will need to be rotated on a regular basis (most will begin to deteriorate,unopened after about 1 year). White pastas, on the other hand, will store for up to and even beyond 10 years (if properly packaged in sealed containers, cool temperatures, without oxygen or moisture). You will know your pasta is past using if it smells rancid or dissolves when added to boiling water. If you suspect some old pasta and aren't sure it is usable, test a few pieces in some boiling water...if they hold their shape and bite then go ahead and use them, but if they fall apart or taste funny, through them out! There...the choice is up to you and how willing you are to keep track of your pasta consumption.

The Sandy Dry Pack Cannery offers 2 White Pastas for canning -- Spaghetti and Macaroni.

HERE ARE SOME RECIPES for PUTTING YOUR PASTA TO GOOD USE ...

Grandpa Emanuel's Sunday Gravy
(This is a recipe Rachel Ray shared on her Food Network show, 30 Minute Meals, years ago. Grandpa Emanuel was Italian and did lots of cooking for and with his extended family. This dish he would always make for whoever happened to drop by on Sunday afternoons. It is easy and yummy...we often fix this on Sundays too. It is delicioso!)

Italian Sausage, in Casings
Italian Meatballs (use frozen or make your own)
Chicken Thighs, Bnls Pork Chops or Veal Cutlets

In Dutch oven style pot, brown all the meats then remove them and set aside. Coat bottom of pot with some extra virgin olive oil and gently saute for 1 minute ...

1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4-1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (to your taste)

Then, add

1 cup beef broth

and scrape up all the little bits of meat that have stuck to the pan. Then stir in and mix well ...

1-28oz can crushed tomatoes
1-14oz can chopped, fire roasted tomatoes

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 hand full of Basil, torn or chopped

Bring all to a soft boil. Add meats back in and allow to simmer, uncovered, until meats are cooked, sauce has thickened and is ready to serve. Remove the meats and serve them on a separate platter. Serve sauce over hot cooked pasta of your choice. Add in a nice green salad and lots of good, chewy Artisan bread and you have a meal.
NOTE: This could also be done in a crock pot...brown meats as directed then place them in a crock pot. Go ahead and assemble the rest of the ingredients as directed then pour all over meats in crock pot and cook on low for 6-8 hours. Sauce cooked this way will need to be thickened before serving ... dissolve 1 Tablespoon cornstarch into 1/4 cup cold water. Stir into sauce thoroughly about 1 hour before serving so sauce has time to reach a soft boil again and thicken. Serve as directed above.

Creamy Macaroni and Cheese
Serves 8-10

4 slices hearty white sandwich bread, torn into pieces
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 clove garlic, minced
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Salt and pepper
1 pound elbow macaroni
6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 cups Colby cheese, shredded
2 cups extra sharp cheddar cheese, shredded

1. In food processor, pulse bread, Parmesan cheese, garlic and 2 tablespoons of melted butter until coarsely ground. Set aside.
2. Cook macaroni in 4 quarts of boiling, salted (1 tablespoon salt) water until just softened - about 3 minutes. Drain pasta in colander, rinse with cool water and set aside to cool.
3. Heat remaining butter, flour, mustard and cayenne in an empty pot over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until golden and fragrant (1-2 minutes). Slowly whisk in broth and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in Colby and cheddar cheeses, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth.
4. Stir cooled pasta into sauce breaking up any clumps until well-combined. Pour macaroni into 1, 9X13" baking dish OR 2, 8" square baking dishes.
NOTE: At this point, macaroni can be wrapped in plastic wrap and foil and the bread crumbs can be put in a freezer bag so the entire dish can be put in the freezer for a Make-ahead meal. This dish can be frozen for up to 2 months. To cook frozen mac & cheese, preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thaw dish in frig overnight or if it fits in your microwave thaw in there by removing foil (save foil for later) and microwaving 7-12 minutes or until mixture just starts bubbling around edges. Then remove plastic wrap. Cover dish with reserved foil and cook in oven for 20 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with bread crumb mixture. Return to oven until crumbs are golden brown and crisp, about 20 more minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.
5. To cook Mac & Cheese right away...preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover dish with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil. Top Mac & Cheese with bread crumb mixture and return to oven until crumbs are golden and crispy - about 20 more minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.


If you are adventurous enough, try making your own pasta ...

Poor Man's Two-egg Pasta
Makes 1 pound pasta, 6-8 servings
This recipe comes from a book called "Lidia's Family Table" by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich (is that Italian enough for you). In this Italian cookbook, Lidia shares 3 pasta recipes that she uses. This one is the sturdiest and cheapest of the three to make and works well in most dishes.

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 large whole eggs
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 Tablespoons water

Measure the flour and sift it into a medium size bowl. With fist, form a shallow indentation in the middle of your flour. Break eggs into a small bowl and beat gently with a fork. Add to eggs, measured amounts of oil and water and mix well. Pour the wet ingredients into the indentation you've made in your flour. Toss and mix everything with a fork until flour is moistened and starts to clump together. Lightly flour your hands, gather all the clumps of flour together and start kneading the dough right there in your bowl collecting up any bits stuck to the bottom or sides of the bowl. When you have a cohesive clump of dough, turn it out onto a work surface that has been dusted with just 1/2 teaspoon of flour. Continue kneading the dough until it is smooth and shiny (about 2-3 minutes), soft throughout (no lumps) and stretchy. If your dough seems too sticky or stiff as you go, adjust it by adding very small amounts of flour or water as needed. When it is just right, form the dough into a disk, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for 1/2 hour. Dough can then be used right away or stored well wrapped in the refrigerator for a day or in the freezer for a month. Always let it return to room temperature before using and defrosted dough may need some additional flour added in. You can now shape dough as desired...by hand it can be rolled out to desired thickness and cut into noodles of any length and width or can be used to make ravioli, tortellini or other hand shaped pastas. Or it can be rolled and formed with any kind of pasta machine following the manufacturer's directions. Now, you can cook this pasta as soon as it is shaped, let it air dry (air dried pastas will take longer to cook) or package it and store it in the freezer (frozen pasta can be dropped in boiling water right from freezer). COOKING HOMEMADE PASTA: For 1 pound of pasta, bring 6 quarts of water to a full boil. Then stir in 1Tablespoon Kosher or sea salt. Shake any excess flour off of pasta and drop into boiling water. Stir. Keep heat high but don't cover pot...let water return to boil, stirring occasionally. Start timing when water resumes boiling...cook until all pasta in pot has risen to the top. Test a piece and continue cooking if needed or gently lift pasta from water with tongs and allow to drain. Then use as desired...

Maybe use your freshly made Pasta to make some LASAGNA (Serves 8-10)...

12 Lasagna noodles, cooked & drained
1 pound good quality sweet Italian sausage
1 pound lean ground beef
16 oz. small curd cottage cheese (or you can use ricotta cheese if you prefer)
4-5 cups grated Mozarella cheese
2 - 24oz bottles Prego 3 cheese Spaghetti Sauce
Dried Italian herb mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9X13" baking dish generously with cooking spray. In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown sausage and lean ground beef together until completely cooked through. Drain any excess grease. Salt & pepper if needed.

Now, assemble your Lasagna... Spread 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce over bottom of baking dish. Lay 3 lasagna noodles side-by-side to cover bottom of dish. Layer on top of noodles... 1/2 cup sauce, 1/3 of cooked meat mixture, 6 tablespoons cottage cheese, 1 generous cup grated mozerella cheese and sprinkle all with dried herbs. Now, add another layer of noodles and repeat layers as described. Add a third layer of noodles - repeat the layers. Finish on top with a layer of noodles, all remaining sauce and a generous topping of cheese.

Spray a piece of foil with cooking spray and put tightly over lasagna. Bake for 45 minutes. Remove foil and continue cooking for 15 to 20 more minutes or until cheese is bubbly and just beginning to brown. Now, this is important, let your lasagna sit and rest (you could put foil loosely over top to maintain heat) for a minimum of 15 minutes...for as much as 30 minutes. This gives all the juices a chance to soak in and set up so, hopefully, you won't have runny lasagna. Serve and enjoy!

NEW TOPIC COMING UP SOON...in keeping with our November Relief Society Activity, "Stretch Your Dollars", watch for some upcoming ideas and recipes that will help you save money and recover a bit from your Holiday spending!