Cooking is an art form, but you don't need to be the Caravaggio of the kitchen or the Picasso of pasta to prepare delicious, imaginative meals.
BY VICKI MARTINEZ
STOCK STAPLES
The first step to creating any masterpiece—painting, sculpture, basket weaving—is to have the right tools within grasp. When inspiration strikes you don't want to reach for the olive oil to find the bottle empty.
Keep your pantry stocked with ample supplies of ingredients commonly used in recipes. Then make sure to add your own personal favorites. For a simple checklist of what to keep readily at hand, check out “Pantry Perfect: A Mediterranean Diet Food List.”
SUBSTITUTE, SWAP
To cook on the fly, learn some simple substitutes to either use as an alternative ingredient or to rework a favorite standby. By swapping ingredients, your favorite dish tastes fresh and new every time.
Barilla Rustic Basil Pesto
THE SECRET SAUCE
Memorize a few simple sauce recipes. You can begin a painting with the same color every time, yet each finished product will be unique. So it is with pasta sauce. Using a sauce as the foundation for your dish opens the refrigerator doors to creativity and experimentation.
NEED A LITTLE INSPIRATION?
Barilla Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni shares two of his favorite recipes:
Cacio e Pepe
It’s highly unlikely you don’t have these next three ingredients on hand:
Spaghetti, Black pepper and Romano cheese
That’s all it takes to prepare this popular dish that’s both elegant and simple.
Spaghetti Aglio e Olio
“This Roman classic is loaded with garlicky goodness, only takes about 15-20 minutes to make, and probably won’t even require a trip to the store,” says Chef Lorenzo.” All you need is spaghetti, garlic, red pepper, extra-virgin olive oil and parsley.”
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