PASTA

Would you believe that prehistoric nomads dined on pasta--toasted wild wheat ground and cooked over an open fire? While the most common modern legend credits fourteenth century Venetian explorer Marco Polo with bringing noodles from China to Europe, Italians, Arabs, Chinese and even Germans continue to lay claim to its discovery. Whatever its origin, today pasta has come into its own. It is a perfect food for our times: a complex carbohydrate, naturally low in fat, cholesterol and calories. Consider this: A five-ounce serving provides 10 percent of the body's daily requirement of protein and iron but contains only a slim 210 calories. It's no wonder marathoners fuel up on pasta at carbo-loading parties (something akin to food orgies) on the eve of big events.

Not only is pasta a healthy alternative to zapping food for meals in minutes but it also is remarkably versatile. Get creative: Substitute one flavor or shape for another at whim. Here's how to perfect your pasta platters:

Cooking: Boil four to six quarts of water for each pound of pasta in a large covered pot. Once the water reaches a rolling boil, remove cover. Then, if you wish, add two teaspoons of salt or the juice of one lemon for more flavor and one tablespoon of cooking oil to prevent sticking. Add the pasta gradually. Stir when pasta first goes into the water, again when the water returns to a rolling boil and occasionally during cooking. Since cooking times vary, follow package directions and test for doneness by pulling a piece from the pot and biting it. Pasta is done when it is slightly resistant to the tooth, yet cooked through--known as al dente in Italian.

Utensils: A large pot with a cover, a colander, a pasta paddle and a long-handled wooden fork are indispensable tools for cooking pasta. And if you're really fanatical about pasta, you may want to include a grater for preparing fresh cheese toppings, a food mill for making your own tomato sauce, and maybe even a pasta-making machine in your kitchen-cabinet collection.

NEW WAVE

PASTA DISHES

EBONY RAVIOLI SALAD