Tired of the same old pasta? Try somethin new

You like pasta. Your kids like pasta. But chances are, you are tired of pasta. That's because most of us get a few pasta dishes under our belt and make them again and again - and again. But it doesn't take much to break the monotony - just a few new recipes. Giuliano Hazan's new book, "Thirty Minute Pasta" (Stewart, Tabori & Chang, 2009), is a timely source.

Pasta is a perfect meal for many reasons: It's quick, easy, affordable and family-friendly. You can top it with nothing more than butter and cheese or oil and garlic and have a perfectly satisfying dish. Or you can dress it up for company. You can feed one person or a crowd with almost equal ease.

The ancients apparently knew the joys of pasta. According to Hazan, the Chinese were eating noodles 4,000 years ago, and a pasta-like substance is mentioned in the Old Testament. Pasta was introduced to Italy not by Marco Polo in 1295 but much earlier by Arab invaders of Sicily.

Whatever its origins, pasta took hold in Italy with a vengeance. Hazan quotes a 2004 survey in an Italian newspaper in which 50 percent of the respondents said they could not imagine living without pasta. With Hazan's book, no one has to.

Here are some of her tips:

To peel tomatoes: Fill a bowl with ice water. Using a sharp knife, cut an X in the skin at the base of each tomato. Plunge into boiling water for 1 minute, remove with a slotted spoon, and drop into the ice water. Slip off the skins, and discard.

Al dente: Pasta should be cooked until it is done but still firm when you bite it. Consult the package instructions, but test as you cook.

• Marialisa Calta is the author of "Barbarians at the Plate: Taming and Feeding the American Family" (Perigee, 2005). More atmarialisacalta.com.

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