Since the advent of the war on gluten, pasta has lost its place on many a menu. But now, it may be time to bring the classic cornerstone of Italy’s primi dish back to menus. A New study conducted in Italy with 23,000 Italians by Nutrition & Diabetes found that “higher pasta intake was associated with better adhesion to the Mediterranean diet.” Italians tend to focus their carbohydrate intake on pasta. Conversely, that pasta is a delivery device for various foods that are super good for you: olive oils, tomatoes, onions, garlic, and protein.
Only 10% of Italians are considered obese, compared to 36% of Americans. A large component to that variable is what dietitians refer to as the Mediterranean Diet. That diet is rich in simple carbs, meat and fish proteins, olive oils, cheeses, fruits, nuts, and vegetables, all taken in moderation along with the avoidance of overly processed foods. Most tend to agree it’s better than a diet of cheese puffs, big gulps, and microwave burritos. In the end, after correcting for age, income, and the like, they found that “the generated pasta-body weight residuals were produced to be mathematically independent from body weight.” That is, pasta in moderation doesn’t make you fat.
There’s an old axiom from Oscar Wilde: everything in moderation, including moderation. It seems to work for the people living around the Mediterranean where pasta is just a single course of a four-course meal.
Now that we know moderate pasta intake won’t increase body weight, let’s look at some photos of amazing pasta courses.
https://www.instagram.com/p/olB94ZqTFh/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHWxLkZDepj/
https://www.instagram.com/p/8k1jhdv1Yc/
https://www.instagram.com/p/BHfODcTBgLL/
(Via First We Feast)
