50 States of Pasta, Part 1
What I love about living in the United States of America is its vast variety of culture, environment, and especially food. In a way, the US has almost become its own continent with each state being a different country with their own local ingredients and cuisines.
So I wanted a way to highlight the vast variety of food that the US has to offer, and I figured the best way to do so is with the king of versatile Italian food, pasta.
That’s right, I am tasking myself with coming up with 50 pasta dishes that each represent each of the 50 nifty United States based on their local culture and what sort of ingredients they are known for.
Some of these dishes might sound strange to new eyes, but I have personally tasted all of them and can tell you that they’re all delicious.
Now, before you go and think I’m actually doing an article with 50 recipes, don’t worry because I’m going to break it up into 5 parts, featuring 10 states in each part, and hopefully, I’ll be able to do each state justice.
These dishes are all of my own thoughts and ideas and I’m certain that they will all be as tasty as the next.
Let’s get rolling with the first 10 states.
Alabama-White BBQ Pasta
We are kicking things off with the cotton state, Alabama. Alabama is home to many significant landmarks in the Civil Rights movement such as MLK’s church and the Rosa Parks museum.
One food that Alabama is known for is a tangy mayonnaise-based white barbecue sauce that is usually spread on chicken. As interesting as dumping mayonnaise into pasta sounds, I wanted to go a different route by implementing one dish that has a very similar creamy-egg texture, chicken carbonara.
Began by frying up 4 strips of bacon in a bit of olive oil until it was brown and crisp, I’m using bacon as opposed to pancetta as I want a bit of smokiness in there. Once that’s done, remove it with a slotted spoon and reserve on paper towels.
Coat 2 butterflied chicken breasts with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika then cook in that same pan with the bacon grease until browned and cooked through, should take 4-5 minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and let it rest for a few minutes then thinly slice.
While the chicken cooks, cook 1 pound of spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente. Save 1 cup of the pasta’s cooking water, then drain.
In a small bowl, whisk together 4 egg yolks with 4 tablespoons of cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon of mustard, 2 teaspoons each of brown sugar and Worcestershire sauce, and season with salt and pepper. (I know the sugar sounds odd, but just go with me.)
Dump the pasta into the pan used to cook the chicken. Add about 1/4 cup of the hot pasta water to the egg yolk mixture, then quickly dump into the pasta and stir until a thick, creamy sauce forms, adding more pasta water if needed.
Twirl the pasta mixture onto a plate, then top with the reserved bacon, sliced chicken, and some sliced green onions.
This pasta dish perfectly shows the beauty of Alabama barbecue; it has that tangy-creaminess that their sauce normally has plus the crisp bacon, and juicy chicken for a wonderful spin on chicken carbonara.
Alaska-Crab Pasta with Salmon
Next, we are heading way up north to the largest state, Alaska, known for its short summers, amazing scenery, and the occasional humpback whale.
Fortunately for me, I was able to get ahold of some beautiful Alaskan king crab legs and Alaskan salmon, courtesy of Alaskan Seafood company who provides frozen Alaskan seafood for us Coloradans to enjoy.
I didn’t want to mask the natural flavors of the crab or salmon, so I will be keeping the flavors of this pasta dish light and simple. By the way, if you can’t get ahold of Alaskan seafood, then Dungeness crab meat and Atlantic salmon will be just as good.
Season 4 skin-on salmon filets with salt and pepper. Lay the salmon skin-side down into a hot pan with a bit of olive oil, then cook for 3-4 minutes or until the skin turns golden and crispy.
Flip the salmon, and cook for 1-2 minutes depending on how done you like your salmon. Remove the salmon from the pan and rest for a few minutes.
While the salmon cooks, cook / pound of linguine in a pot of salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, drain, then set aside.
Heat another layer of oil in the pan used for the salmon, then add 1 1/2 cups of cherry tomatoes, cut in half, sliced whites from 4 green onions, and 2 minced cloves of garlic, and cook until the tomatoes start to soften.
Carefully add 1/2 cup of white wine, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, then add the pasta, 1 1/2 cups of roughly chopped crab meat, and 2 tablespoons of butter, then cook, stirring, until the butter is melted and a sauce forms.
Add a bit of pasta water if needed, then divide the pasta among bowls, top with a piece of salmon (skin-side up), green onion greens, and serve with lemon wedges.
*Note, if you’re starting with whole crab legs, then I’d suggest steaming the legs for about 5 minutes then using scissors to cut open the shell and extract as much meat as you can.
There is nothing to not love about this crab pasta with salmon. Flavorful pasta loaded with crab and tomatoes and that beautiful, juicy, crispy-skinned salmon. It’s a weeknight pasta dish that your family will love!
Arizona-Chicken Pasta Bake
Home of the Grand Canyon, Arizona is the 6th largest state and one of the 4 states connected by the famous 4-corners monument along with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.
Arizona has a rather arid, desert-like environment, and there are a lot of southwestern/Mexican-inspired dishes to go around, so I think that a southwestern pasta bake might be what the doctor ordered.
Start by heating the oven to 375 and cooking 1 pound of rotini pasta according to the directions on the package for al dente. Drain and set aside. There’s no need to save pasta water this time.
Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet (cast iron is preferred), then add 2 minced garlic cloves and cook until the garlic is fragrant.
Add 2 tablespoons of flour, then cook, stirring constantly, until the flour is lightly cooked. Add 2 cups of milk, 3-4 chopped canned chipotles and 1 1/2 tablespoons of the adobo sauce, then cook until the mixture turns bubbly and thickens.
Add 1 1/2 cups of grated white cheddar cheese, then stir until melted. Add the pasta, 3/4 cup of corn, 1 cup of black beans, and 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken, then stir to combine.
Top the pasta with another 1/2 cup of cheese, then bake for 10-12 minutes or until bubbly and the cheese on top is slightly golden.
Top with sliced green onions and diced tomatoes, then serve!
The beautiful part about this Arizonian chicken and pasta bake is that you can set it on the table and have your family help themselves, and you can guarantee that it’s full of flavor, spice, and aroma.
Arkansas-Possum Pie Ravioli
Bordering the Mississippi River, Arkansas is well known for its abundant terrain with mountains, caves, rivers, and hot springs. Its capital, Little Rock, also hosts the Clinton Museum and library, which shows a replica of the oval office and many historical artifacts.
One dish that Arkansas is quite famous for is their possum pie, a dessert that consists of a sandy crust (made with flour, butter, and pecans), cream cheese, chocolate custard, and whipped cream on top.
This dessert sounds delicious, but I wanted to see if I could turn this into a pasta dish. I know it sounds wild, but you’ll have to go with me.
Edit: Alright, so I did an updated version of this recipe in a TikTok that I made that I think came out a lot better, so I’ll be sharing that now.
Start by making a chocolate pasta dough. Combine 2 cups of flour, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder and a pinch of salt in a food processor, then pulse in 4 eggs and enough water to get a crumbly dough.
Dump the dough onto a floured surface and knead it until it’s smooth and elastic. Set the dough aside while you make your filling.
For the filling, combine 8 ounces of cream cheese with 4 egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar, then fold in 1 cup of chopped pecans. Set that aside in the fridge until you’re ready to use.
To make a simple vanilla custard sauce, or creme anglaise, combine 3 egg yolks, 3 tablespoons of sugar, 1/2 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of cream, and 2 teaspoons of vanilla paste or extract in a saucepan. Cook that over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Immediately pass through a fine mesh strainer, cover directly with plastic wrap, then set aside.
By now your pasta should be more than ready to go, so go ahead and roll it out into long, thin sheets. Lay out a pasta sheet, then take little spoonfuls of the cream cheese mixture and dot them throughout the dough, spacing them apart by about 2 inches. Lay another pasta sheet on top, then use your fingers to squeeze out all of the air around the filling and squish the two pasta sheets together. Use a ravioli cutter or a knife to cut into squares.
Cook the ravioli in a pot of simmering water until they float to the top, then drain thoroughly. To serve, pile up the chocolate ravioli into serving bowls and top with a drizzle of the creme anglaise, chopped pecans, and whipped cream.
Honestly, after making this Arkansas possum pie pasta, I feel like there’s nothing I can’t do. I’m already a huge lover of fresh pasta, but this makes me love it even more!
The pasta itself is not sweet but has a really nice rich chocolate flavor that blends wonderfully with the sweet/tart cream cheese filling and the texture from those pecans, and then the sweetness of that vanilla creme anglaise comes in to take this dish home.
California-Avocado Pasta Salad
Home to Hollywood, stunning beaches, and one of the most densely populated cities in America, California has a place for just about everyone, from the winding roads of San Francisco to the beaches of San Diego and everywhere in between.
When I think of California, I think of summertime and hot weather, so I think a refreshing pasta salad with some of the wonderful ingredients California has to provide is the key to cooling off this summer.
Cook 1 pound of any small pasta, I’m using casarecce, in salted boiling water until al dente. Drain, then set aside to cool completely.
For the dressing, scoop the flesh of 2 ripe avocados into a blender or food processor along with the juice of a lemon, 1 large bunch of fresh basil leaves, a pinch of salt, 1/2 of a garlic clove and 1 teaspoon of honey. Blend until smooth.
Dump the cooled pasta into a salad bowl, then add 2 cups of halved cherry tomatoes, 1 seeded and diced cucumber, 1 diced red bell pepper and 1/2 of a diced red onion. (You could also add 1 cup of sliced black olives, but I do not live olives)
Add the dressing, toss to coat, then chill until you’re ready to serve!
This is not your ordinary pasta salad, this is a pasta salad that’s full of flavor, texture, and color, and you can thank the state of California for the ingredients that made it possible.
Colorado-Pasta with Lamb Ragu
Ok, here comes the state that I hope I can do justice to because it is the state that I call home.
Colorado is full of stunning mountains, lakes, rivers, and more snow than Texas sees in a decade. Colorado is also home to wonderful lamb, so I thought I’d turn it into an easy bolognese or ragu that’s great for any weeknight dinner.
Heat a medium saucepan with a bit of olive oil, then add 1/2 pound of ground lamb and 1/2 pound of lamb sausage meat. (If you can’t get ahold of lamb sausages, then pork sausages work just as well)
Cook until the meat is browned and cooked through, then add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, 2 large sprigs of rosemary, and 2 minced cloves of garlic. Cook until the vegetables soften, then add 2 (15-ounce) cans of crushed tomatoes. Bring to a simmer, then cook for 20-30 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.
While the sauce simmers, cook 1 pound of spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain.
Add the pasta to the sauce then simmer for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce coats the pasta, then stir in 1/2 cup of grated pecorino romano cheese and, if needed to loosen the sauce, some of the pasta cooking water. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Divide everything into bowls, then top with more pecorino and sliced fresh basil.
If this pasta dish doesn’t scream Colorado, then I don’t know what does. Tender pasta, flavorful sauce, and a hearty dinner that’s on the table in less than an hour. What more could you ask for?
Connecticut-Clam pasta
The second smallest state, Connecticut is best known for its fall foliage, Yale University, and a lively coastline with attractions such as the Mystic Aquarium, which holds centuries-old ships and beluga whale exhibits.
One food that has seen a good deal of popularity in Connecticut is their unique New Haven-style pizza, otherwise known as apizza. Apizza is unique for it’s ultra-thin crust that is cooked in a coal-fired oven for a slightly-charred, smoky flavor.
While this CT-style of pizza can feature an array of toppings, the most classic is with fresh clams, garlic, olive oil, and parmesan, so I wanted to take that flavor profile and turn it into a pasta dish.
This dish couldn’t be easier, assuming you know how to work with live clams. Fortunately, I talk about just this in my article about shellfish, which you can check out using this link.
Cook 1/2 pound of linguine in heavily salted boiling water until…wait for the surprise…it’s al dente! Reserve 1 cup of cooking water, then drain.
While the pasta is cooking, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a wide pan over medium heat, then add 1/2 cup of Italian breadcrumbs. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the breadcrumbs are very toasty, almost burnt. Quickly transfer to a small bowl lined with paper towels, then set aside.
Wipe down the pan, then add more olive oil and 8 cloves of minced garlic. Cook until the garlic starts to turn golden, then add 2 dozen littleneck clams.
Add 1 cup of white wine, then quickly cover the pan and cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the clams have opened up and the wine has reduced. If any of the clams do not open, then get rid of them.
Dump the pasta into the pan with the clams, then toss to coat, adding more pasta water if needed. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Twirl the pasta and dump it onto plates along with the clams, then top with the reserved breadcrumbs, a drizzle of olive oil, and serve with lemon wedges.
I really like this dish as the flavor of the clams melds nicely with all of that garlic and white wine, and those crispy breadcrumbs take it to another level, and I do believe this dish would do Connecticut proud.
Delaware-chicken and slick dumpling pasta
Tucked into a peninsula next to Pennsylvania, Delaware is known for it’s many harbors and for being the chemical capital of the world, as the majority of the state’s economy relies on pharmaceuticals, industrial chemicals and plastic making.
As small as Delaware is, there is one dish that brings huge flavor, and that’s chicken and slippery or slick dumplings, a variation on classic chicken and dumplings where, rather than biscuit-like drop dumplings, the dish uses square, flat, chewy dumplings that are very similar to pasta.
What I wanted to see was if I could turn this warming chicken soup into a pasta dish, and I think I did just that.
Heat a thin layer of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium, then add 1 chopped onion, 2 chopped carrots, and 2 chopped ribs of celery. Sprinkle salt over the veggies, then cook for 4-5 minutes or until the veggies start to brown.
Add 2 cups of low-sodium chicken stock and a large bunch of fresh thyme, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until the broth has reduced by half, this should take about 10-15 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the dumplings. Combine 2 cups of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a medium bowl. Add 1/4 cup of vegetable shortening, then use a fork to cut the fat into the flour and form a crumbly texture.
Add up to 1 1/2 cups of hot water, a little at a time, until a shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, then knead until it becomes smooth and elastic.
Roll the dough to a 1/8-inch thickness, then use a pizza cutter or knife to cut it into thin ribbons, it should resemble fettuccine.
Lay the dough into a pot of salted water brought to a simmer, then cook until it floats to the top of the water.
Drain the pasta, then add it to the sauce along with 2 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken and 3 tablespoons of butter, then toss until the butter melts and a smooth sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper.
Twirl and divide everything into bowls and top with chopped parsley.
This is like the chicken and dumplings that most people’s grandmother would make, but in a unique pasta-like form that makes you want to savor every bite.
Florida-Creamy Orange Shrimp Pasta
Known as The Sunshine State, Florida is a very hot but tropical beach state that tourists from all over the country travel down to experience. If they’re not at the beaches, then Florida tourists are likely found in the magical kingdom of Disneyworld.
One fruit that the state of Florida seems to know about more than any is oranges, and given its coastal atmosphere I thought that a simple, but delicious seafood pasta with an orange sauce would be perfect. Here’s how to do it.
Cook 8 ounces of any pasta in salted boiling water, I used rotini, until nice and al dente. When the pasta is about 2 minutes away from being cooked, add 1 head’s worth of broccoli florets (Had to get some veg in there with all of this pasta), and cook until the broccoli is bright green and slightly tender.
While the pasta cooks, melt 3 tablespoons of butter with 6 minced garlic cloves in a wide skillet, then whisk in 2 teaspoons of flour and the grated zest of one orange.
Cook that for about a minute to remove any raw flour taste, then add 1/2 cup of white wine, 1 cup of cream, and 2 teaspoons of Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper, then bring to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes, or until the sauce slightly thickens.
Add 1 pound of medium-sized shrimp, peeled and deveined, and simmer for 5 more minutes, or until the shrimp are fully cooked.
Drain the pasta and broccoli, then add to the pan along with 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese, then stir until the pasta is coated. Divide the pasta mixture among bowls, then top with chopped parsley.
This dish is similar to classic lemony shrimp pasta but with the addition of that floral orange flavor to take you to the beaches of Florida with just one bite.
Georgia-Caramelized Peaches with Ravioli
Sitting on top of Florida, we have the peach state, Georgia. While most people know it for the large airport in Atlanta, Georgia is home to the Martin Luther King Jr. historical site and the famous Georgia Aquarium, as seen on many episodes of Good Eats.
Given its nickname, I knew that I wanted to involve peaches with Georgia’s pasta dish, especially with the amazing Palisade peaches I can get in Colorado, so, like with Arkansas, I decided to caramelize these wonderful peaches and serve them with some sweetened cheese ravioli.
Make one batch of pasta dough using my recipe in this link, omitting the semolina and egg yolks, using 4 eggs instead, and adding 2 tablespoons of sugar and 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon.
While your pasta rests, combine 1 cup of ricotta cheese in a small bowl with 1/4 cup of sugar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Set that aside.
Roll out your pasta dough according to my directions, then spoon 1 1/2 teaspoonful blobs of the ricotta mixture, spacing the blobs about 1/2 inch apart.
Brush water around the filling and along the edges of the pasta, then lay another pasta sheet on top and use your fingers to press out as much air as possible. Use a pasta cutter or knife to cut the dough into squares.
Dump 1/2 cup of sugar into a wide pan over medium heat, then cook without stirring for about 5-7 minutes, or until the sugar turns a light amber color.
Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the caramel, and swirl until the butter melts, then add 3/4 cup of cream and 4 ripe peaches, pitted and thinly sliced, and cook for another 2 minutes, or until the peaches become very soft.
Cook the ravioli in a pot of simmering water, lightly salted, until the ravioli floats to the top of the water, then drain and add to the pan with the peaches and caramel and gently stir to coat.
Divide the ravioli and peach mixture among bowls, then top with more sliced peaches and a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream
This caramelized peach ravioli just might become my new party trick, if I ever end up throwing parties. The ravioli is stuffed with that sweet ricotta, the caramel sauce has those wonderful smoky flavors, and the peaches give a nice sweet-tartness that makes the whole dish sing.
And that is where I will have to stop…for now.
I hope you enjoyed seeing these first 10 pasta dishes and let me know if you end up making one of them yourself. I’ll have the next 10 states on their way, so look forward to that!
