"As long as there's pasta and Chinese food in the world, I'm okay."
- Michael Chang
Until a few years ago the controversy surrounding the origin of pasta had confounded many. Was the noodle originally Chinese or Italian?
Although Italian pasta and Asian noodles may differ in their shape and method of preparation etc., the two also share many similarities. Putting differences aside we decided to utilize the similarities and create a fusion twist on classical pasta dishes by swapping the pasta with Asian rice noodles. For our HKP noodle fusion event we decided to create well known Western dishes such as pasta marinara, alfredo pasta, noodle kugel, and a tuna casserole, except we simply substituted rice noodles for pasta.
To see how to cook the rice noodles see our previous blog entry: Vietnamese Brown Rice Noodles
Although Italian pasta and Asian noodles may differ in their shape and method of preparation etc., the two also share many similarities. Putting differences aside we decided to utilize the similarities and create a fusion twist on classical pasta dishes by swapping the pasta with Asian rice noodles. For our HKP noodle fusion event we decided to create well known Western dishes such as pasta marinara, alfredo pasta, noodle kugel, and a tuna casserole, except we simply substituted rice noodles for pasta.
To see how to cook the rice noodles see our previous blog entry: Vietnamese Brown Rice Noodles
A classic tomato pasta sauce known as pasta marinara.
| A creamy sauce similar to bechamel but with parmesan cheese and cream.
| A sweet pudding made of noodles from Jewish origins.
| A mixture of garden greens and tuna.
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Noodle Pasta Conclusions:
While we must admit some of us were initially skeptical by the overall outcome of our pasta dishes, these individuals were pleasantly surprised. Although the concept of switching pasta with rice noodles may have seem taboo, the finished dishes were quite delicious and they have proved that rice noodles are a great substitute for Western pasta, especially if you plan to start a gluten-free diet.