Star Pasta

I don't know about you all, but it's times like these where I want to turn to comfort food. And for me, comfort food is pretty much always related to nostalgia, more specifically, my childhood. I'm blessed to say I had a whimsical, hearty childhood. Growing up in the South in the 90s, we played outside and came inside when it began to get dark. I passed the "hummy" days of my childhood catching fire flies, eating watermelon on the back porch, watching "popcorn storms" roll in, and sitting down to the perfect meal my mom or dad had made.

Right now, life is simplified. In many ways for the worse, but in some ways for the better. Families are spending time together. Kids are playing outside. People are gardening. Couples are going for walks. So, in an effort to be an optimist, I'd like to offer you a simplified recipe to go along with a currently simplified life. It won't always be like this, but while it is, let's make the best of it, and take some comfort from the hope of better days.

This is a recipe my mom used to make for me and my brother. It's very simple and easy to make, but offers wonderful flavor. To this day, I still love it. It's almost like a cacio e pepe in a way, but with a tad more whimsy added to it in the shape of tiny stars. Speaking of tiny stars, I've had a hard time finding star pasta. But if you live in the area, try Leaning Ladder in Downtown Woodstock. They have it imported from Italy at about $10 per bag. A little pricey, but it makes quite a bit!