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Fresh Pasta – Save Your Heart and Eat Local Pasta

Save Your Heart, Eat Fresh Local Pasta!

It has been common knowledge for decades that eating a balanced diet rich in nutrients made with natural fresh local ingredients can help you live a longer and healthier life but where does pasta fit into that? We will explore the treasured cuisine of Italy and how the culture and the way Italians really eat has a profound affect on the life expectancy, quality and happiness of its people. Is there science behind eating fresh local pasta and staying healthy or living longer? Not all pastas are created equal and the processes used to create different pastas can affect not only the quality of the product but the overall health benefits. Let’s dive in…

Fresh Local Pasta Heart HealthThe Italian Way of Life

If you have ever had the opportunity to travel to Italy the first thing you may notice is the culture. Italians are happy, loving and sometimes loud people, they enjoy talking with their hands, eating a lot and they live with passion abundant. How do Italians eat all day and still stay fit? The culture in Italy is “Tutto di Famiglia” which means all about family, gathering is just a way of life for most Italians. Meals are often cooked from scratch with local produce, meats and cheese. Americans think of Italian food as heavy pasta and lasagna, when in fact Italians in Italy eat very light, each meal may consist of grazing on cheese and antipasti, a pasta course which is always hand rolled by someone’s Nona, a fish course, and a meat course. They typically always have dessert and let’s not forget about the wine! Their portions are small, and their meals are slow and often take hours as they converse and share, never a mad dash to fit as much in as possible. The life expectancy of an Italian living in Italy is around 84 years old compared to around 75 in the United States. It is apparent that the close family environment and the fresh food, lots of activities, wine and walking have allowed Italians to thrive and live their best lives.

Where is the Proof?

The correlation between eating pasta and living a longer happier life is more than just a theory. The Cardiovascular Institute has been studying the affects of different foods on our bodies for quite some time now and a recent study conducted by U.S. National Institutes of Health-AARP of about 416,000 men and woman showed that over 16 years the people who had diets rich in plants and other complex proteins were in superior health to those who primarily consumed meats and processed foods. Pasta in general is a plant-based process and yes while some pasta’s do have eggs most pasta, especially fresh handmade pasta like Pasta Rea is made up of a mix of flours, purified water & sea salt. Also, in general people who primarily ate things like fresh pasta, vegetables, eggs, cheese and fish lived a more active lifestyle than those who ate mostly red meats and processed dinners. The actual energy and overall feeling of well-being was greater among those people who consumed these nutrient rich foods that were made with simple ingredients and prepared at home.

So Pasta is Good for You, Now What?

Fresh Ingredients Fresh Pasta PhoenixNot all pasta is the same, in fact, pasta that is produced in factory’s, dried and boxed and sitting on your grocery shelf is not quite the same as the fresh pasta we make here at Pasta Rea. You will notice a night and day difference upon inspecting the ingredient list on your favorite store brand pasta vs. our label. If only three simple ingredients produce amazing pasta then why do some big companies and manufacturers put things like calcium propionate, potassium sorbate, and sodium dithioacetate in their pastas? That’s not all, a blind taste test showed that 9/10 people preferred fresh whole pasta than boxed/processed pasta. It cooks faster and has a purity in taste that just can’t be manufactured. The best pastas are extruded on Italian machines operated by hand like ours. Semolina and Durham flours create an amazing balance of texture and when made properly with the correct pure water ratio and sea salt it’s a straightforward process. Making pasta at home is easy and fun as well if you have the correct tools. Pasta of any kind really does allow you to live a longer and healthy life, but fresh local pasta will always be our choice!

Eat local fresh pasta, stay healthy & Vive Bene!

Learn More: https://www.newsweek.com/pasta-bread-lower-risk-death-1517549

By: Sasha Holt

Pasta Rea-Fresh-Pasta-Phoenix

Italian Food Delivery & Catering in Phoenix

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Rea Family Visits Casarea, Italy

Casarea, Italy has been a highlight of the Italian adventure thus far. The Rea’s had a wonderful time last weekend in Casarea, a neighborhood of Casalnuovo di Napoli about 20 minutes east of Naples and in the shadow of Mount Vesuvias.

The Rea Family and Casarea

Casarea is the birthplace of Chef’s paternal grandfather. It was in 1906 that his grandparents, Salvatore and Nancy (de Falco) Rea, immigrated to the US.  They settled in Mount Kisco, New York and had seven children.  Chef has many first cousins in New York, but all other relatives are still in Casarea which derived its name from his ancestors.

While true for most Italian families, in Casarea it is abundantly clear that cooking with fresh ingredients and love of family is in Chef’s genes!  He has so been enjoying meeting family and learning about their business ventures, predominantly in the food industry.  Antonio Rea (yes, many relatives with that name!) who is a nephew of Chef’s grandfather, was a produce purveyor. His daughter, Felicia, still works a patch of land in the communal gardens.  In addition, Chef and family have also met a cousin (another Antonio Rea), who operates the family pizzeria, Pizzeria da Rosa.  Antonio’s sister, Maria Maddelena manages Magda Cakes, a fabulous cake and pastry shop.   Can you imagine keeping all the Anthony’s, Antonio’s and Tony’s straight on this trip?

In the photo gallery below you will see Chef with his cousin at Pizzeria da Rosa, images of the fantastic pizza at Pizzeria da Rosa, and Maria Maddelena serving a pastry from Magda Cakes.

Magda Cakes , Chef with Cousin, pizza whole and by the slice, and (below) Chef in front of pizza oven

 

For information on Pizzeria da Rosa please visit www.facebook.com/pizzeriadarosa.

The family has been in Rome and enjoying another week of Italian adventures before heading home.  Stay tuned for updates and follow on Facebook!

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Italian Adventure for Rea Family Continues at an Agriturismo

As the Italian adventure continues, Chef Tony and family are staying at an agriturismo, Il Selvatico, in Poggi del Sasso, a hilltop town near Grosetto in the Maremma region of Tuscany. The owner of Il Selvatico, Guilin, restored and expanded his grandfather’s original farmhouse by himself over a 6-7 year period. It’s quite extensive and includes a vineyard, olive farm, garden and more. Guilin and his mother are hosts, caretakers, hunters, farmers, and chefs. The agriturismo is half-board with breakfast & dinner included with everything coming from the land. The Rea’s first meal was antipasto with polenta & ragu (From a mix of meats including fallow deer) bruschetta with portabellos, housemade pasta, wild boar, tiramisu, espresso & grappa. Yesterday they visited a sheep farm and enjoyed an assortment of cheeses.

About Il Selvatico – A Restored Farmhouse & Vineyard

The owner of Il Selvatico, Guilin, restored and expanded his grandfather’s original farmhouse by himself over a 6-7 year period. It’s quite extensive and includes a vineyard, olive farm, garden and more. Guilin and his mother are hosts, caretakers, hunters, farmers, and chefs. The agriturismo is half-board with breakfast & dinner included with everything coming from the land. The Rea’s first meal was antipasto with polenta & ragu (From a mix of meats including fallow deer) bruschetta with portabellos, housemade pasta, wild boar, tiramisu, espresso & grappa. Yesterday they visited a sheep farm and enjoyed an assortment of cheeses.

Antipasto at Il Selvatico

Antipasto at Il Selvatico

Six month old Harper enjoying pasta with her father!

Six month old Harper enjoying pasta with her father!

A refrigerator case with a selection of Italian cheeses

Selection of Italian cheeses

Enjoying the Wines of Tuscany

Chef and family are also enjoying wines that are becoming quite well known from this southern region of Tuscany, Montecucco. The wines in Montecucco are primarily made from the sangiovese grape as in many other Tuscan regions.  Brunello di Montalcino, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano and Chianti Classico are all made from the Sangiovese grape and yet they are all unique.

Sangiovese is an impressionable grape variety that easily takes on characters from the specific soil or terroir so although most of the wines from Tuscany have this grape as a base there is a never ending flow of different styles, flavours and aromas. Sangiovese is one of Italy’s most widely grown grapes but it is in Tuscany that it is most prominent. The conditions are right to make really excellent wines unlike any others in the country of Italy.

In Montecucco you can still find excellent wines at a very reasonable prices but as the wines from the region become better known, no doubt prices will increase.

 

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Casarea Italian Adventure for Chef Rea and Family

Chef Tony and his family are about to embark on an Italian adventure of pasta, pizza, and family! The adventure begins after completing two catering events today. We’re not sure when he had time to pack! Chef Tony, Susan, and their young children, Nicolas (Nicky) and Lilianna (Lily); adult son, Anthony, fiancé’ Alisha, and their 9 month old daughter, Harper, (Chef’s granddaughter) depart for Italy tomorrow. The last family trip to Italy was in 2011 to visit Chef Rea’s mother’s ancestral home. This is a long anticipated family trip to visit relatives in the Rea ancestral town of Casalnuovo di Napoli (Village of Casarea). They are looking forward to meeting and spending time with distant cousins, exploring the area, eating fresh pasta and seafood, and enjoying pizza at Pizzeria di Rosa, a pizzeria owned by Chef’s cousin.

Casalnuovo di Napoli

Casalnuovo di Napoli is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Naples in the Italian region Campania, located about 13 kilometres northeast of Naples with a population of about 50,700. The municipality of Casalnuovo di Napoli contains the frazioni Casarea, Tavernanova, and Licignano.

Follow the Family

Experience the Rea’s vacation with us as we will keep you updated with posts along the way. We wish Chef Tony and his family a safe and fun-filled much deserved vacation. It has been a very busy year and we hope they can relax, enjoy time with family, and indulge in wonderful Italian cuisine and wine. We’re looking forward to new ideas for pasta recipes.

In the meantime, our kitchen will, of course, be rolling out our delicious fresh pasta available at the Uptown Farmers’ Market every Saturday and available by special order by calling us at 602 485-9924. Special orders can be picked up at Uptown Market or at our kitchen at 1825 West Crest Lane. We can live vicariously by eating Chef Rea’s pasta here locally!

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