Starchild: Malaysian children love pasta in all shapes and sizes

Asher Wang Qi Chuen, 4

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Pasta is a staple of Italian cuisine. It is created using unleavened dough of durum wheat flour, mixed with water or eggs and formed into sheets, noodles or various shapes like animals or shells, for example. There are many types of pasta including spaghetti, macaroni, angel hair or penne. Which is your favourite?

Although pasta is eaten routinely in Italy, it is also popular all across the globe and has been adapted by people of different culturues. For example, boiled macaroni is cooked with cumin, turmeric, chopped green chillies, onions, and cabbage in Nepal.

In certain parts of China, macaroni is served in a broth with sausages, peas, black mushrooms and eggs.

Pasta can also be made into desserts. Do you know there are ravioli cookies, baked pasta pudding and chocolate pasta with cream sauce?

Let’s check out what Starchild readers have to say on the topic, Pasta.

Florence Chan Zi Hsuan, 7

“I enjoy pasta with chicken, peas, veggies, and red sauce. The pasta tastes nice, especially when it’s cooked by Aunt Za,” says Claire Yap Jyn Wei, six.

Claire Yap Jyn Wei, 6

Sophie Yap Jyn Qing, 8

Older sibling Sophie Yap Jyn Qing, eight, enjoys pasta with bolognese sauce too. However, the tastiest pasta is with beans, veggies, tomato pasta sauce and meat. I prefer spaghetti to penne pasta because I can slurp it up like an anteater slurps up an ant with its long tongue. My second favourite pasta is macaroni because it’s shaped like a half ring. I like to put it on my finger.”

Debria Preethi Jeyarajah, 10

Ten-year-old Debria Preethi Jeyarajah likes macaroni, especially with melted cheese and carbonara sauce. “Here are three facts you probably didn’t know about pasta – pasta keeps you full longer, it comes in about 350 different shapes, and the most popular cheese used in the macaroni and cheese dish is the Cheddar cheese.”

“Red sauce is best eaten with pasta. When my mum cooks bolognese sauce, she puts in lots of tomatoes, carrots, celery, broccoli, meat and cheese. My mum makes delicious pasta and I wish I could have my favorite pasta everyday,” writes Brandon Tang Chee Harng, seven.

Brandon Tang Chee Harng, 7

Four-year-old Asher Wang Qi Chuen enjoys eating pasta in alphabet and animal shapes. “Pasta is one of my favorite foods. I enjoy them stir-fried, in chicken soup, as well as with sauces. I love to sprinkle my pasta with lots of cheese and herbs.”

Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, 6

Older sister Bethany Wang Qi Syuen, six, enjoys all types of pasta. “The word pasta means ‘paste’ in Italian and this paste is generally made with water and flour of durum wheat that is high in protein. Pasta can be made in large quantities in factories as well as homemade in smaller quantities.”

Seven-year-old Florence Chan Zi Hsuan enjoys a good dose of spaghetti and macaroni. “My uncle likes to cook spaghetti with carbonara sauce, but my mother always cooks with bolognese sauce because it is my favourite. So I’d like to prepare spaghetti by using ingredients such as Oreo, sprinkles, chocolate and lollipop. I think it will not only be very tasty, but make my pasta a memorable one.”

Jodie Tan Li Juen, 12

Jodie Tan Li Juen, 12, writes: “I like Angel hair type pasta the most. I know how to cook it as I learned it from my father. I always help him to prepare the ingredients to make seafood aglio pasta. Ingredients used are mussels, salmon, and cheese.”

Jayden Tan Li Sheng, 8

Younger sibling Jayden Tan Li Sheng, eight, enjoys spaghetti bolognese too. “The sweet tomato sauce and meatballs are tasty and delicious. Daddy cooks pasta during the weekends. Thank you, Daddy, for your delicious meals.”

Wong Cheng Yang, 7

“My favourite pasta is spaghetti with tomato sauce because it is yummy. It tastes sweet with tomato, ham and sausage. Pasta has many shapes, but I like spaghetti the most,” says five-year-old Wong Jie Ern.

Wong Jie Ern, 5

Older brother Wong Cheng Yang, seven, says: “I love spaghetti carbonara because my mother cooks with bacon, mushroom and broccoli. It has a creamy and cheesy taste. Pasta comes in many different shapes and colours. My mother said pasta is a source of carbohydrates too.”

Chloe Leong Xizhen, 8

“Pasta is one of my favourite foods. There are many different types of pasta but my favourites include spaghetti, fettuccine and macaroni. I enjoy pasta with bolognese sauce, especially with lots of tomatoes, mushrooms and cheese. I’m hungry just thinking of pasta,” says Chuah Seng Koon, five. – Compiled by Sheela Chandran

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