Costa Cruises is highlighting various pasta dishes guests can discover onboard in celebration of World Pasta Day on Oct. 25.
Pasta is at the heart of Costa’s Italian culinary identity, with more than 100 different preparations across the shipboard menus for guests to try.
In a press release, the cruise line said that celebrating pasta also means sharing a fundamental part of Italian culture: gathering around the table and enjoying food as part of the travel experience.
“Pasta is at the heart of Italian food culture, and at Costa, it’s something we take great pride in bringing to life onboard,” said Priscilla Reyes, head of sales for Costa Cruises North America.
“It’s a familiar part of everyday life in Italy, yet there are endless ways to enjoy it. We want our guests to discover that same sense of joy at the table, whether they choose a dish they know and love or try something completely new.”
Ranging from traditional recipes inspired by Italy’s culinary heritage to contemporary interpretations that introduce new flavors, the pasta options across the fleet include:
- Spaghettone with green pea carbonara and mortadella
- Penne with arugula pesto and buffalo mozzarella, featuring mozzarella freshly produced onboard
- Pumpkin tortelli with basil pesto, shrimp ragout and toasted pine nuts
- Gnocchetti Sardi with sausage sauce, broccoli and chili
- Mezze maniche with swordfish, Taggiasca olives and demi roasted cherry tomatoes.
Noting that guests have nearly 80 opportunities to sample different pasta dishes on a seven-day cruise, Costa singled out some fun facts about its pasta menus:
- Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes, including spaghetti, trofie, scialatielli, agnolotti, quadrotti, ferriceddi and more
- More than 20 entries stuff or fill the pasta, with ingredients ranging from meat and ricotta to shellfish and truffle-flavored cheese.
- At least 32 seafood and fish dishes bring the flavors of the sea to the menu.
- 15 lasagna dishes put a creative spin on an Italian classic.
- Tomatoes appear in at least 18 entries, while at least four dishes feature lemon as a highlight ingredient.
- 10 dishes featuring pesto offer variations on one of Italy’s best-known sauces.
