Valentine's day pasta special

A perfect pasta valentine. The pasta shape is called "zucchette." It is an artisinal, hand-made pasta, from Marella. The name means "small squash". With its rough, ribbed exterior, and hollow insides, it is perfect for many sauces -- holding them like no other pasta does.

Here is granddaughter Zoe, in appropriate Valentine costume, digging in to the serving. For our Valentine's Day menu, we simply used the zucchette and some of the wonderful sauce we made this fall from fresh tomatoes. The sauce, always one of our favorites, can be found at www.classicpasta.com, click on "pasta sauces" and then on "fresh tomato". This is the sauce called "Benedetta and basil".

Perfecto, and Zoe's bowl was empty within minutes!

This is a photo from the Marella web site showing the pasta, a Pugliese pasta, that we used.

Happy Valentine's Day from Zoe and Pietro.