The Power of Pasta | Teen Ink

The Power of Pasta

July 10, 2011
By Livvy97 GOLD, Warren, New Jersey
Livvy97 GOLD, Warren, New Jersey
17 articles 1 photo 26 comments

Pasta strings my family together into a ball of yarn hugging us tighter in togetherness. After a hard day of work for my dad or day of school for my sister and me, the string noodles bring us together, with binding love. As I walk into the house, the aroma of marinara sauce cushions our arrival from the outside. We are safe, at home with each other as our forks twirl the spaghetti. The noodles are empowering each of us as they shied us from the day’s endeavors. It is a form of protection and confidence instilled upon us by the noodles.
During the course of each day, my family members and I may be dissatisfied with the events that have occurred. One flawless part of my day that I look forward to is the noodles, the smell of garlic invading my nostrils like tiny fragrant aliens aboard a spaceship. The taste of the tomatoes still lingers in my mouth as I lick my lips with pleasure; it is an everlasting familiar flavor that hovers on top of my tongue. As I reminisce about this delightful dinner I recall the chewing and the munching which was very loud, like feet stomping on the stairs. Our teeth devoured such as enjoyable twist of noodles; sauce dripped down our chins and flopped onto our shirts like raindrops falling off a gutter onto the soil. Conversation was minimal as the consumption of the noodles took the majority of the time. For a brief moment I forgot what happened in the past hours and nothing else mattered except the long thin pieces of pasta in my mouth.
On other nights of the week, possibly a busy night like a Tuesday when I have softball practice or perhaps a Thursday, my mother will surprise me with rice and chicken for dinner. This rice doesn’t chain my family together; it falls off the utensil taking our emotion and togetherness with it. Another night she may prepare potatoes, however, this warm part of the meal does not satisfy either. Each member of my family, whether it is my father or my sister or me, one of us will complain about the potato. It isn’t baked, it isn’t roasted or it isn’t mashed, it’s just not the way we like it. The potatoes don’t bring us together. It does not fill us with love or warmth, rather it encompasses us in a cool tension that fills the air between us at the dinner table. Potatoes and rice do not fulfill our emotional needs and cannot replace the pasta; instead it tears us apart as each rice kernel falls on the plate.

The power of stringy pasta keeps my family intact. It hugs us in flour knots as peace and serenity become part of this recipe. Perfection of the noodle is in the smell of garlic and the tomato flavor that is fresh in my memory. We are bound like pasta that has once been brittle and alone in the box but soft, pliable, and together is our family. The strands weave in a knot around our forks threaded together like us. Spaghetti intertwined in the openings of the fork links us together like an unbreakable chain of love and happiness.


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This article has 8 comments.


Livvy97 GOLD said...
on Aug. 9 2011 at 10:09 am
Livvy97 GOLD, Warren, New Jersey
17 articles 1 photo 26 comments
Thank you!

on Aug. 8 2011 at 10:49 pm
Love.Hate.Passion., Spring Valley, Illinois
0 articles 0 photos 356 comments

Favorite Quote:
~Hope. Faith. Love~
~Be proud of who you are.You are all unique in a different way.~
~I WILL NOT fade into oblivion , and become less than
a distant memory.~

This was creative and cute. I like how you used the idea of pasta to represent your family. So imaginative!

Livvy97 GOLD said...
on Aug. 8 2011 at 8:26 pm
Livvy97 GOLD, Warren, New Jersey
17 articles 1 photo 26 comments
o hahaha, well goodluck on your essay!

on Aug. 8 2011 at 8:14 pm
PaRaNoRmAl627 GOLD, Mountainside, New Jersey
15 articles 0 photos 296 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Do what you want. If it's something you'll regret in the morning, sleep late."

it was such a coincidencee because i just started my real one todayy so when i saw that this was onee i was like wooww lol

Livvy97 GOLD said...
on Aug. 8 2011 at 7:58 pm
Livvy97 GOLD, Warren, New Jersey
17 articles 1 photo 26 comments
oh and please look at my other work if you get the chance.. thanks :)

Livvy97 GOLD said...
on Aug. 8 2011 at 7:56 pm
Livvy97 GOLD, Warren, New Jersey
17 articles 1 photo 26 comments
Hahaha this was a free write assingment in english, and it is not being sent to a real college. i am not at that age level yet. thank you for the suggestions and it was a college admissions' essay idea, but the essay was not written to be sent to one. thanks. :D

on Aug. 8 2011 at 7:47 pm
PaRaNoRmAl627 GOLD, Mountainside, New Jersey
15 articles 0 photos 296 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Do what you want. If it's something you'll regret in the morning, sleep late."

i. love. spaghetti. lol i think that this was a very clever idea, but it could have been executed a little bit better. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad, it just didn't strike me  as a college essay. It didnt tell me all that much about who you are, except maybe that you're italian :) is that right? I think that to make it seem more college-y, you should focus less on the figurative language and metaphors and such, and more on the message you're trying to get across to admissions people. i understand that the figurative language is an important part of your writing style, but too much of it tends to sound forced. if you relax it a little bit, it sounds more natural. its more like youre talking to the reader rather than writing a poem, and thats what they're looking for. they want to get to know you as a person, and if they're focused on an image of aliens intruding your nostrils, they may miss the point :) i definitely see where you were going with this, and i dont think that you should give up the idea. i just think it needs to be refined a bit. for example, tell the readers why pasta is so important to your family. was there an important event that started the tradition? what do you guys talk about at the table? do you all prepare the meal together, bringing you back together after your tiring days apart? i cant wait to see how this turns out for you, and if it helps you get into the school of your dreamss :) best of luckk!

Livvy97 GOLD said...
on Aug. 8 2011 at 7:47 pm
Livvy97 GOLD, Warren, New Jersey
17 articles 1 photo 26 comments
PLEASE GIVE ME FEEDBACK