In these days when the Atkins Diet is all the rage, giving out pasta recipes might seem to be going against the current. However, could the Italian culture have been going against the current for more than 2,000 years, enjoying pasta as one of its main staples, and still be so victorious?

I dare say not; 57 million Italians can?t be wrong. On average each year, Italians consume 62 pounds of pasta per capita versus 14 pounds per capita in the United States. The obesity rate is 37 percent in Italy versus 61 percent in the United States. No one has put it better than Sophia Loren: ?Everything you see I owe to pasta.? So let me do what I do best and give you two simple, traditional pasta recipes that Italians have been eating for centuries.

Buon appetito, and enjoy without remorse.

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Salt

cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 pounds of assorted mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

inch (about 6 cups) Freshly ground black pepper

8 fresh sage leaves, chopped

1 pound spaghetti

1 cup vegetable stock or pasta cooking water

cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Bring six quarts of salted water to a boil in an eight-quart pot over high heat. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Scatter the garlic over the oil and cook, shaking the pan, until golden, about two minutes.

Add as many of the mushrooms as will fit comfortably into the skillet. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss in the sage. Add the remaining mushrooms as the mushrooms in the skillet wilt and make room.

Cook, stirring and tossing frequently, until the mushrooms are sizzling and brown, about ten minutes. If the mushrooms have given off a lot of water during cooking, you?ll have to wait for that liquid to boil off before the mushrooms begin to brown.

Stir the spaghetti into the boiling water. Return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook the pasta, semi-covered, stirring occasionally, until done, about eight minutes. Add the stock to the browned mushrooms, bring to a boil and lower the heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer. Cook until the liquid is reduced by about half, about five minutes.

If the skillet is large enough to accommodate the sauce and pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into sauce in the skillet. If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in the sauce. Toss in the parsley, bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring gently to coat the pasta with sauce.

Check the seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary. Remove the pot from the heat, stir in the cheese and serve immediately in warm bowls. Makes six servings.

This dish is traditionally cooked with guanciale instead of pancetta. Pancetta is rolled and cured pork belly, while guanciale is cured pork cheeks quite delicious but difficult to come by in stores. If you find guanciale, by all means use it here.

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1 (35-ounce) can Italian plum tomatoes (preferably San Marzano)

Salt

5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, or to taste

1 medium onion, sliced thin (about 2 cups)

4 (-inch) slices pancetta (about 6 ounces), cut into 1 -inch julienne strips (about 1 cups; see Note below)

2 whole dried red peperoncino peppers or teaspoon crushed hot red pepper flakes

1 pound bucatini or perciatelli pasta

1 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for passing

Pass the tomatoes and their liquid through a food mill fitted with the fine disc. Set aside. Bring six quarts of salted water to boil in an eight-quart pot.

In a large skillet, heat two tablespoons of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until wilted, about four minutes. Stir in the pancetta and cook two minutes.

Add the hot red peppers and the strained tomatoes and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat to a simmer, and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, stir the bucatini into the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, until done, about 12 minutes. Check the seasoning of the sauce, adding salt if necessary (remember the Pecorino is mildly salty).

Reserve about one cup of the pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta, return it to the pot and pour in half the sauce. Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil and add enough of the pasta cooking water, if necessary, to make enough sauce to lightly coat the pasta.

Check the seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in one cup of the grated cheese and transfer to a large, heated serving platter or bowl. Spoon the remaining sauce over the top and pass additional grated cheese separately if you like.

Note: To cut the pancetta into julienne strips, first unroll each slice, and then cut the long strip crosswise into 1 -inch pieces. Cut the strips lengthwise into -inch strips.

Makes six servings.

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