Pasta Day Pasta

Name: Pasta Day Pasta
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Cuisine: Tanzanian
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for boiling the pasta; 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, plus more for boiling the pasta; ¼ cup (60 ml) olive oil; 5 garlic cloves, smashed; ¼ cup (10 g) loosely packed fresh basil leaves, plus more for serving (optional); 1 pound (455 g) spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni*; 1 pound (455 g) spaghetti, penne, or rigatoni*; 2 tablespoons good-quality salted butter, plus more for serving; Grated Parmesan cheese,* for serving; Red pepper flakes, use fresh chilis, Aleppo chili flakes, or black pepper; Red pepper flakes, use fresh chilis, Aleppo chili flakes, or black pepper; Red pepper flakes, use fresh chilis, Aleppo chili flakes, or black pepper; Red pepper flakes, use fresh chilis, Aleppo chili flakes, or black pepper; Whole peeled tomatoes, use crushed tomatoes Spaghetti or rigatoni, use any long or tube pasta; Whole peeled tomatoes, use crushed tomatoes Spaghetti or rigatoni, use any long or tube pasta; Whole peeled tomatoes, use crushed tomatoes Spaghetti or rigatoni, use any long or tube pasta; Whole peeled tomatoes, use crushed tomatoes Spaghetti or rigatoni, use any long or tube pasta; Parmesan cheese, use another Italian cheese, like burrata, pecorino romano, or ricotta salata; Parmesan cheese, use another Italian cheese, like burrata, pecorino romano, or ricotta salata; Parmesan cheese, use another Italian cheese, like burrata, pecorino romano, or ricotta salata; Parmesan cheese, use another Italian cheese, like burrata, pecorino romano, or ricotta salata; Parmesan cheese, use another Italian cheese, like burrata, pecorino romano, or ricotta salata

Preparation info

Serves
4

Difficulty
Easy
Ready in
45 min

Appears in

Third Culture Cooking

By Zaynab Issa

Published 2025

About

For most people, Friday is the best day of the week. Growing up, this was true for a couple reasons. Yes, it meant the end of the school week, but it was also the best day for school lunches: pasta day.

Picture massive foil trays stacked and filled with penne (a sight for sore eyes) prepared two ways: with red sauce or with butter. Each Friday, I’d get on line, grab my white paper plate, and wait in agony over making the decision between the two. The truth is, I wanted half of each.

Ingredients

Sub-Saharan Africa
Tanzania
Main course
Pastry
Vegetarian

Ingredients

Method