The Italian colonies that settled down on this side of the world gave birth to a Latin American liking for pastas, especially rooted in such nations as Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, where the contact with the Europeans hailing from those cultures and their own rich culinary legacy brought about –as many experts put it– a number of preparations that do even the finest Italian recipes one better.

Even though Italy is the kingdom of pastas and the entire Mediterranean culture has put them in the own cookbooks, in Latin America this particular foodstuff has been elbowing its way through with as many variations and contributions as the region’s countless peoples and cultures. Though references to the immense recipe book of Latin American pastas hark back to the very Italian formulas, the local geography has no doubt chipped in a multitude of contributions. A plate of chili lobsters, shrimps or crabs is the perfect base for a Caribbean sauce for pastas, just as much as fish dipped in prickling brine with natural sliced or pureed tomatoes. Spaghetti a la Bologna is deeply coveted all across South America, and when mixed with beef stew –it serves to strengthen the nutrition facts of a foodstuff that all by itself delivers 360 kilocalories per every 100-gram helping- it adds 13 percent of proteins and 1.5 percent of fats and minerals. Either way, it must be said that the most popular recipe of the traditional Italian preparation is the Napoli, a classic that can be applied to both spaghetti and short pastas. However, the key to success lies in its combination with tomato sauce and ground Parmesan cheese. Yet some pasta are served in slices, like the ones used in the making of the sought-after cannelloni and lasagnas, blended with minced meat, béchamel, vegetables and other ingredients. And there are those that are used for stuffing, like the great-tasting ravioli and tortellini, shaped like little square packs and knotted rolls respectively, which are also highly demanded.