Celebrate World Pasta Day

Montreal chef Stefano Faita is following in his family’s footsteps, not just in the kitchen but also on television. The host of In the Kitchen with Stefano Faita, airing Monday to Friday at 3:30 pm on CBC, got his start appearing alongside his mother, Elena, a well-known TV chef in Quebec.

His family ties make him a natural fit to represent family-owned pasta maker Barilla. “I’ve been using Barilla since I was a kid,” he says.

For anyone who has ever ruined a batch of pasta (don’t laugh, it happens), Stefano has some tips:

• Start with enough water. To cook 500g of pasta, for example, you need six litres of water.
• Salt the water. This is not just to make it boil faster, but to actually season the water. It should taste a little salty.
• Get the water to a good boil. This prevents the pasta from sticking when you put it in.
• Put the pasta in and give it one good stir. If the water is boiling well, the pasta should move around easily.
• Remove the pasta right before it’s al dente. It should be slightly resistant when you bite it, or if you cut it you will see a tiny bit of white still in the middle.

“Remember, the pasta is going to continue to cook when you spoon heated sauce on top, or if you transfer it to a pan to cook with sauce,” says Stefano.

To celebrate World Pasta Day, Barilla and ParentsCanada have teamed up to bring you a pasta prize pack worth $130. Enter for your chance to win.

Stefano shared a few pasta dishes developed exclusively for Barilla:

Rotini with cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata

Whole grain penne bella stagione
Farfalle withItalian sausage and saffron
Spaghettini frittata