Carolina Diaz, World Pasta Champion Revealed To Us EXCLUSIVELY Her Star Recipe

Carolina Díaz, chef di Cucina at Terzo Piano in Chicago, became the first Latina to win the 2018 Barilla World Pasta Championship. This cook of Mexican origin enchanted the jury with the combinations and flavors of her recipes.

Since we want to master this dish as much as she does, we asked her to offer us one of her pasta recipes for you to prepare in your kitchen and you won't believe it, but she gave us first hand the recipe with which she won this prestigious culinary contest.

As he told us, his recipe for rigatoni pasta with roasted red pepper and raw tuna is very easy and healthy.

Rigatoni with roasted red pepper and raw tuna

Ingredients

1 box of Barilla Mezzi Rigatoni Pasta

For the sauce:

1 bottle of San Marzano tomatoes, peeled

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 5 medium red peppers
• ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cups heavy cream
• 4 sage leaves
• 2 tablespoons of salt
• ¼ cup white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

For the tuna:

1 pound tuna loin, center cut, minced (½ x ½ inch)

• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
• 1 tablespoon of grated lemon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• ¼ cup chives, thinly sliced
• 1 teaspoon Bottarga, grated (to finish)

Indications

For the sauce:

1. Roast the red peppers over the flame until burned. Once cool, peel completely.
2. Heat a pot over medium heat. When hot, add oil, onion, garlic and sauté until translucent.
3. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 25 minutes.
4. Puree in a blender until completely smooth.

For the tuna:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

For the pasta:

Meanwhile, heat the roasted red pepper sauce in a skillet. Add the pasta and mix.

Add the tuna to the pasta.

As we are very curious, we wanted to know more about how that taste for pasta was born, what it meant for her as a Latina to win this title, among other details. We leave you an excerpt from our conversation with the world champion of pasta.

What did it mean to you to be the first Latina to win the World Pasta Championship, including beating Chinese chef Toby Wang in the final?

“For me, being one of the few women in the competition was an achievement in itself. Being Latina gave me an advantage because of what our culture means. I was able to add that Latin flavor, passion and creativity to all my dishes. There is something within Latin women that fills us with pride and passion to be able to move on. Chef Toby Wang is an extremely talented chef and it was a pleasure to compete against one of the best.”

How did your interest and love for pasta come about?

“My passion for pasta started when I had the privilege of working with chef Christian Fantoni in 2011. It was there that I realized that making pasta is an art. And like all forms of art, you have to have patience and dedication. The more I cooked the pasta, the more I became passionate.

Now, I work with chef Tony Mantuano, who has taught me to have confidence in myself and has given me the freedom to express myself and to have the courage to take risks in my culinary creations.”

What are the best 5 tricks to prepare it? For example, is it true that the same water with which we cook it serves to thicken the sauce?

1. The pasta has to be cooked "al dente"; that is, that you feel firm when you bite. To get the authentic pasta "al dente", boil the pasta for 9 minutes, or 2 minutes less than the instructions on the pasta package.
2. When you have two minutes to cook, remove a piece of pasta from the water and bite it in half. You should see a white dot about the size of a pencil tip. If that tip disappears, the pasta is already overcooked.
3. The water used to cook the pasta is essential for the sauce to stick to the pasta. When you finish cooking the pasta, add the sauce with a cup of water in which it was cooked.
4. Pasta can be cooked in advance. You just have to cook it ahead of time and cover it with oil. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 2 days.
5. There are different cuts of pasta for different sauces and it is important to know which type of pasta corresponds to your sauce. Light sauces, like a tomato sauce, are perfect for spaghetti, and meat-based sauces, like a ragout, go well with rigatoni. Think of pasta as a vehicle for carrying sauce.

What are those false pasta myths that we must stop believing?

"A false myth is that pasta makes us fat. Actually, what makes you fat are excess calories. To avoid this, it is important to follow the recommended serving of pasta combined with ingredients like vegetables or protein.

Another myth is that pasta has to be served with a heavy sauce, cheese and cream. Adding fresh ingredients and herbs to your pasta is a great way to add flavor without additional calories.”

How can we prepare pasta dishes that are healthy?

"You have to follow the recommended portion and not overeat. The ideal portion of pasta is up to 2 cups. Also, cream and butter are not always necessary for pasta dishes. I always use a lot of vegetables and instead of using cream or butter, I use olive oil and cheese.

How can we give the Latin touch to this Italian dish?

"The most common and versatile ingredients are tomatoes and chilies. Adding a touch of spice also adds a special flavor."