Ask a child what their favorite food is and I’ll bet one of the most common answers you’ll hear is some sort of pasta dish: spaghetti, macaroni, ravioli. That’s why Feeding America, Kentucky’s Heartland (FAKH) is excited to launch our summer campaign: The Pasta Bowl – aimed at combating childhood food insecurity across our 42-county region.
When we look at the numbers, it’s clear just how important this campaign is. According to Feeding America’s latest Map the Meal Gap report, 54,710 children in our service area face food insecurity, approximately 1 in 5 children within our region.
The report also reveals that childhood food insecurity is not only widespread in our region, but is also on the rise. In the FAKH service area, last year’s study identified four counties with childhood food insecurity rates exceeding 20%. However, this year, an alarming 36 counties within our service area report childhood food insecurity rates surpassing 20%.
Amid these troubling statistics, our programming is aimed at making a difference. In the past year, FAKH has distributed over 461,000 pounds of food to area children through Feeding Kids programming. But, we still need community support, and that’s where campaigns like the Pasta Bowl come in.
The Pasta Bowl features a friendly competition between two teams: Team Macaroni and Team Ravioli. When you make a donation, you can cast your vote for your favorite team and help us decide which pasta favorite will be this year’s winner.
In honor of our Pasta Bowl campaign, we’re sharing a recipe for a delicious pomarola sauce from The Original Impellizzeri’s Pizza provided by Greg Powell, Director of Operations for Impellizzeri’s, J.R. Neighbors and the Cavern Club in Elizabethtown.
Impellizzeri’s Pomarola Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 can (28 oz.) whole San Marzano tomatoes, hand crushed
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 6 fresh basil leaves
- Pinch of Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions:
- In a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed saucepan over low-medium heat, warm the olive oil. Add sliced garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook for one to two minutes, allowing the garlic to “open up.”
- Add crushed tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Season with salt and pepper and add basil leaves. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and adjust seasoning to taste. Serve immediately or cool down. The sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to four days.
- Enjoy!
Throughout the summer, both restaurants have pledged to actively promote the Pasta Bowl campaign, with Impellizzeri’s Pizza donating a portion of their sales to the campaign. This kind of community support is crucial to our mission and makes a meaningful impact.
We encourage you, your family, friends, co-workers and anyone else willing to find ways to join us in our fight against food insecurity in the region. Together, we can provide essential support to programs that feed kids in our community.
To learn more about the Pasta Bowl, or to donate to our Feeding Kids programs, visit feedingamericaky.org/pastabowl.