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Mafalda Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce Recipe | Italian-American Dish
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Mar 31, 2025
Welcome to Eat Every Slice! In today’s recipe, we're making Mafalda Pasta with Tomato Basil Sauce—a delicious, easy-to-make Italian-American dish that’s perfect for any night of the week. Mafalda pasta, with its unique ruffled edges, pairs beautifully with a fresh, homemade tomato basil sauce. This recipe features simple ingredients like garlic, tomatoes, fresh basil, and Parmesan cheese. Whether you’re cooking for the family or impressing friends, this dish is sure to delight. Ingredients: Mafalda Pasta Tomatoes (Crushed) Fresh Basil Garlic Olive Oil Parmesan Cheese … and more! Ready in just 30 minutes, this Mafalda Pasta is a flavorful and satisfying meal everyone will love. For the full recipe and more tips, visit our blog at www.eateveryslice.com. Don’t forget to follow us for more recipes: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/eateveryslice Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/eateveryslice BlueSky : https://bsky.app/profile/eateveryslice.bsky.social Threads : https://www.threads.net/@eateveryslice
View Video Transcript
0:00
welcome back pasta lovers today we're
0:02
doing a deep dive into mafala Pasta
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maala Pasta now shape it's not a shape
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I'm super familiar with yeah um and
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we're going to be exploring specifically
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a recipe for mafalda with tomato basil
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sauce yeah and get this it has a
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connection oh it does to Italian royalty
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it does so mafala pasta yes is named
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after princess mafalda of seavoy yes and
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those ruffled edges that you see on the
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mafala are said to resemble the designs
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on Royal gowns interesting I know have
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you ever cooked with mafalda before I
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have I have it's what's it like it's
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similar to Pepperell or fetene but the
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Ruffles really do bring something
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special to the table yeah those Ruffles
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I was looking at them I was like what is
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the purpose is this just purely
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aesthetic well and that's what's so
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fascinating about mafalda is that it
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really marries Form and Function okay so
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those Ruffles aren't just for show
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they're strategically designed to
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capture every bit of sace oh clever and
1:01
speaking of sauce this recipe that we're
1:04
looking at today features a classic
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tomato basil sauce okay I love a tomato
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basil sauce it's so simple so simple so
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fresh it really lets the mafalda shine
1:15
all right so we've got royalty we've got
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fashion we've got delicious sauce let's
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unpack this recipe one thing that really
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stood out to me was the emphasis on
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using pasta water you know that starchy
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Liquid Gold left over after you cook the
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pasta absolutely to get the perfect
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sauce consistency it's key why is that
1:35
what's the science behind that well
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you're spot on with that Liquid Gold
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analogy pasta water is packed with
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starch that was released during cooking
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right and that starch acts as a natural
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emulsifier it helps bind the sauce
1:49
together okay creates a smoother silkier
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texture that clings beautifully to the
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pasta especially to those lovely mafalda
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Ruffles that makes so much sense so it's
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like a little culinary Hack That Ates
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the whole dish it is yeah I'm always
2:02
looking for ways to like up my sauce
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game and this seems so simple yet
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effective exactly exactly and when you
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pair that perfectly textured sauce with
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the mafalda which has that delightful
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bite that texture that's both delicate
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and substantial it's just a match made
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in pasta heaven now I'm getting
2:20
seriously hungry so let's walk through
2:22
the steps of this recipe so we can all
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get cooking I'm all yours all right
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first things
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first we need to cook the mafal the
2:31
pasta and as with most pasta dishes the
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key here is to cook it Al Dente Al Dente
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of course we want it to retain a slight
2:39
firmness a bit of a bite overcooked
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pasta culinary tragedy especially when
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you've got a shape as beautiful as
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mafala you don't want to hide that no
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under a mushy mess exactly okay so while
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that pasta is bubbling away yes let's
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talk sauce okay so the sauce is
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wonderfully straightforward we're going
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to start by sautéing some minced garlic
3:02
in good quality olive oil until it
3:04
becomes fragrant and just starts to turn
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golden love that and then Ino the star
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ingredients crushed San Marzano Tomatoes
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San Marzano the best the best they have
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a lower acidity right and a sweetness
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that just lends itself beautifully to a
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simple sauce like this we'll add some
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dried basil some oregano and a pinch of
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sugar to balance out any lingering
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acidity and let it all simmer gently for
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about 10 to 12 minutes to meld those
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flavors together simple fresh
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ingredients coming together to create
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something Spectacular Now I can't forget
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the fresh basil you mentioned earlier is
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that where the wow factor comes in
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absolutely that fresh basil is the
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finishing PCH that elevates this dish to
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a whole new level just before serving
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we're going to tear some fresh basil
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leaves sprinkle them over the pasta that
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burst of vibrant green
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fres AR is the perfect Counterpoint to
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the rich tomato sauce I love those
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little touches that just brighten up a
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dish both visually and in terms of
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Flavor now I have to ask what about
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cheese of course because let's be honest
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cheese makes everything better you're
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speaking my language now parmesan cheese
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is listed as an optional garnish in this
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recipe right but in your opinion I think
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it's practically mandatory okay good A
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Generous sprinkle of parmesan just adds
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that salty Savory depth that really
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rounds out the flavors of the dish this
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is making me want to drop everything and
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head straight to the kitchen this sounds
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like the perfect week night meal it's
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quick easy and utterly delicious what do
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you think absolutely and it's not just
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limited to week nights this maalo with
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tomato basil sauce is elegant enough to
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serve to guests ooh fancy imagine
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twirling those beautiful ruffled noodles
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on your fork yeah coated in that vibrant
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flavor Beau sauce it's a dish that's
5:01
sure to impress that's a great point but
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it's not just about impressing others
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right there's something so satisfying
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yeah about trying a new recipe for sure
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especially when it involves discovering
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a Hidden Gem yes like mafalda pasta I
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agree it opens up a whole world of
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culinary possibilities it does exploring
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different pasta shapes and sauces and
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ingredients it's a culinary Adventure it
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is who knows maybe maalo will become
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your new go-to pasta I think it might
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but before we go any further M I think
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it's time to delve a little deeper yes
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into the history of mafala pasta okay
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where does this Royal connection come
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from what makes this particular pasta
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shape so special let's get into it stay
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tuned we'll be right back welcome back
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to our Deep dive all right now I'm
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really curious about the history of this
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pasta we touched on that princess
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mafalda connection uhhuh but is there
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more to the story there is there is so
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it's believed that mafala pasta
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originated in Naples sometimes time in
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the early 20th century okay and it was
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indeed named in honor of Princess
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mafalda of seavoy some feed historians
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even suggest that those ruffled edges
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Were Meant to symbolize the waves of the
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sea a nod to Naples coastal location
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that's fascinating it really paints a
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picture it does of the pasta's origins
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connecting it to royalty and the Sea it
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makes me wonder though yeah was mafala
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pasta a common dish in Princess
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mafalda's time or was it more of a
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special occasion food that that's a
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great question and unfortunately the
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historical record is a bit fuzzy on that
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detail right however considering its
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Royal namesake and the fact that pasta
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was a staple food in Italy across all
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social classes it's safe to assume that
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mafala pasta graced both Royal tables
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and humble kitchens I love that a pasta
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shape that transcended social barriers
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yeah enjoyed by everyone royalty and
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everyday folks everyone it speaks to the
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UN power of food absolutely food has
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this incredible ability to connect us
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across cultures yes social classes time
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periods in the case of mafala pasta It's
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a tangible link to Italy's Rich culinary
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history and traditions speaking of
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culinary Traditions I have to admit the
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texture of mafalda pasta really
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intrigues me yes yes you mentioned it's
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similar to papel or fetene right but
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those Ruffles those Ruffles must add
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something special to the eating
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experience they absolutely do they're
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not just decorative
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they serve a very specific purpose they
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provide more surface area for the sauce
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to cling to so that every bite is
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bursting with flavor cover but beyond
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that they also create a more interesting
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textural experience it's like a little
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dance in your mouth with every bite you
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get the smoothness of the pasta sheet
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but then those Ruffles add a delightful
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little bite chewi that satisfying bite
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of alempe pasta that rich tomato basil
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sauce clinging to those delicate Ruffles
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yes burst of fresh basil it's just a
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symphony of textures and flavors it is
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it is and you know when you think about
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it this recipe is a perfect example of
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how simple ingredients prepared with
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care yeah and attention can come
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together to create something truly
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extraordinary so true it's a reminder
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that we don't always need fancy gadgets
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or complicated techniques to make
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delicious food no you don't sometimes
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all it takes is a good recipe quality
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ingredients and a little bit of passion
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and passion couldn't have said it better
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myself I agree you know speaking of
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passion I'd love to hear your personal
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take I'm a fall the pasta oh you know
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what I haven't had it before Oh really
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I'm a little ashamed to admit it but I
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tend to stick to my usual pasta suspects
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but after this deep dive yeah I am
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definitely adding mafala pasta to my
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shopping list yes I'm so intrigued by
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its history by the unique shape yeah and
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of course its ability to hold all that
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delicious sauce I have a feeling you
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won't be disappointed and you know the
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beauty of this recipe is that it's so
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versatile oh yeah you can easily adapt
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it to your own taste I am already
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thinking of variations what about adding
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some sauteed mushrooms ooh mushrooms
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would be great or a Sprinkle of red
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pepper flakes for a little bit of heat
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yes little heat or maybe some grilled
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chicken or shrimp for a heartier meal
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make it a whole meal exactly so many
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possibilities that's what's so wonderful
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about cooking yeah it's a canvas for
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your creativity it you can take a basic
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recipe
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make it your own right personalize it to
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suit your preferences exactly it's about
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experimenting having fun and most
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importantly enjoying the process I love
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that and it's funny how we started this
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deep dive focus on the pasta yeah but
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we've ended up talking about history
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culture culinary Traditions that's the
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beauty of food isn't it it's a gateway
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to conversations it is about history
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culture and even our own personal
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experiences it connects us in we might
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not even expect I couldn't agree more
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well folks I I think it's safe to say
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that we have officially fallen in love
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with mafala pasta I think so but before
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we get too carried away we do have a few
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more things to share with you we do we
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promised you a deep dive yes and a deep
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dive you shall have absolutely we've
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covered the history the texture the
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flavor the cultural significance right
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but what about the actual cooking
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process yes let's get into it are there
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any tips or tricks we should know to
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make this mafalda magic happen oh I've
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got some in our own kitchens yeah
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so we've talked about the history the
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texture those delicious flavors the
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connection to Italian royalty yes now
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let's get down to like the Practical
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side of things right are there any tips
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or tricks that we should keep in mind
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yeah to make sure our mafala with tomato
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basil sauce turns out perfectly
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absolutely absolutely one of the keys to
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success with any pasta dish but
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especially with a delicate shape like
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mafalda is avoiding overcooking
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overcooking we want that Al Dente we
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want that that slight bite that keeps
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the pasta from becoming mushy okay Al
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Dente key no one wants a plate of pasta
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that resembles glue right so we'll keep
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a close eye on that cooking time yeah
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now you mentioned using high quality yes
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canned tomatoes for the sauce yes any
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specific
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recommendations any Insider Secrets hi s
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marizo tomatoes are definitely the gold
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standard for this recipe they're known
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for their sweetness lower acidity but
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honestly any brand of canned tomato
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that are clearly labeled as high quality
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will do the trick and don't be shy with
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the seasoning okay salt and pepper are
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your friends right and a pinch of sugar
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can help balance out any lingering
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acidity oh that's a good tip in those
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Tomatoes I'm all about amping up the
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flavor now let's talk about the magic of
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pasta water yes you mentioned using it
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to adjust that sauce consistency yes is
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there a specific amount we should aim
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for or is it more of a go with your gut
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kind of thing it's a little bit of both
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actually okay depends on how thick or
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thin you like your sauce I recommend
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starting by adding just a tablespoon or
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two of pasta water to the sauce and
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stirring it in well okay if you want it
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thinner yeah add a bit more but do so
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gradually okay the starch in that pasta
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water will thicken the sauce as it Heats
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gotta so it's better to air on the side
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of caution that's a great tip it's
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amazing how such a simple ingredient can
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make such a difference I know right now
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are there any serving suggestions oh you
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can share anything would make this
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mafala with tomato basil sauce even more
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special absolutely for a touch of
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richness and creaminess ooh yes try
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topping the pasta with a dollop of
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ricotta cheese oh ricotta it adds a
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lovely textural contrast okay and it
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compliments that tomato sauce
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beautifully okay you and if you're
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feeling adventurous you could even
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drizzle a bit of truffle oil over the
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dish ooh fancy for an extra layer of
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decadence my taste buds are tingling
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cannot wait to try this recipe yes but
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before we wrap up I have one last
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question okay for those of us who are
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new to molda Pasta yeah where can we
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find it you should be able to find
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mafalda pasta in the pasta aisle of most
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well stocked grocery stores okay look
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for it near the other long flat pasta
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shapes like fetene and paperell M and if
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you can't find it local you can always
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check online right online retailers yeah
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there are retailers that specialize in
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Italian gourmet Foods perfect so there
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you have it folks we have explored the
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fascinating world we did it of mafala
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pasta we delved into that Royal history
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uncovered the secrets to creating a
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truly delicious so good mafalda with
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tomato basil sauce love it we encourage
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you to try this recipe out for
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yourselves experiment with those
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variations nice Crea and most
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importantly have fun in the kitchen and
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if you're looking for the full recipe
13:56
along with other delicious pasta dishes
13:58
right and culinary inspiration be sure
14:01
to visit our website at
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www.ev slice.com we'd also love to hear
14:06
about your culinary Adventures yes so if
14:08
you try out this mafal the pasta recipe
14:11
share your photos and your feedback with
14:12
us on social media we can't wait to see
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what you create send them our way until
14:16
next time happy cooking
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