Abundant, healthy food that's affordable for everyone. Fair wages and working conditions for food and farm workers. Farmland and surrounding landscapes preserved for future generations.
That's the food system we need. But it's not the food system we have—and it's time to do something about it.
In this video series, food writer and activist Mark Bittman and UCS Food and Environment program director Ricardo Salvador cook up four delicious recipes with a side of conversation that will provide food for thought—and action.
Check back in the months ahead for new recipes and more conversations with Mark and Ricardo.
#1. Recipe for a Fair Food System: Pasta with Salsa Cruda
Preparing this quick, simple late summer dish sparks a conversation about the complexities—and inequities—of our food system, particularly for the workers who make it run.
Pasta with Salsa Cruda
- Salt
- 2 cups cored and roughly chopped ripe tomato
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, lightly smashed
- 1/2 cup chopped basil leaves
- Pepper
- 1 pound linguine or other long pasta
- Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
- Put the tomato, oil, garlic, and half the basil in a broad-bottomed bowl. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Mash together well, using a fork or potato masher, but do not puree. (You can make the sauce an hour or two before you’re ready to eat and let it rest at room temperature.)
- Cook the pasta in the boiling water until tender but not mushy. Ladle some of the cooking water into the sauce to thin it out a bit and warm it up. Remove the garlic. Toss the hot pasta with the sauce and top with the remaining basil; pass the grated Parmesan at the table.
Behind the Scenes with Natalia Mendez
During a break from taping, Ricardo got to talk to food activist and New York City restaurant owner Natalia Mendez.
We Need Your Support
to Make Change Happen
We can transform the U.S. agricultural system to prioritize investments in healthy foods and farms —but not without you. Your generous support helps develop science-based solutions for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future.
NEWS REFERANCE: Union of Concerned Scientists
