Spaghetti: boil water; add a pinch of salt, a dash of olive oil, and then add the spaghetti noodles to the water; drain the water once the noodles are tender. Add the marinara sauce on top and serve along side Parmesan cheese.
I once took a trip to travel abroad in Europe. It was between my junior and senior year of high school when I was accepted as an ambassador to travel to Italy, France, and England. When preparing to leave, I did have some expectations on what I would experience while abroad. I expected to see the Roman Coliseum, the Vatican, the Luv, the Tour d’Eiffel, and of course, I expected to take a joyous ride on a red double-decker bus in London, but besides the common tourist sites, I expected to ingest delicious carbs smothered in mouth-watering marinara sauce. And from the first lunch in Rome to the last meal in London, my expectations did not go unmet.
In Rome, the marinara was made kosher, so it’s base was chunks of rich tomatoes and hints of fresh basil as well as bay leaves. It was simple yet very gratifying and elegant. When we traveled to Nice, located near the Mediterranean Sea, in the south of France, the pasta included fresh pieces of fish amongst the pureed marinara sauce; however, instead of the traditional spaghetti noodles, the sauce was placed atop circular noodles which somewhat resembled “Spaghetti O’s.” In the northern most part of France called Normandy, I was given the opportunity to watch as the chefs prepared a very different version of the marinara sauce. This time the sauce was mixed with Kalamata olives and chili pepper, giving an extra bold flavor and little kick after each bite. Even in London, as the trip came to a close, the very last meal I enjoyed consisted of a much simpler recipe. It was freshly grown tomatoes with garlic cloves, onion, and just a smidge of olive oil. It had the perfect balance of each ingredient so that I was able to taste each one separately.
My trip abroad was an amazing adventure, and although it may seem like I ate way too much of the same thing, it really wasn’t all the same. In each city I stopped in, I was given an introduction into each particular culture. Through the marinara sauce, I was able to grasp the essence of the location, and enjoy a tasty meal at the same time. It was a beautiful combination.
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