Batali vs. Bittman Pasta Saucing Smackdown: Who's Right?
Goodness. Too many things to read. I think that you're just not comparing apples with apples here. Fresh pasta itself is perfect, needs very little flavoring, etc. So Batali makes sense. Especially if you've had his cacio e pepe pasta.
Bittman is discussing what's good for your health. It's definitely an American school of thought. Pasta as one of many ingredients in a dish. Still, there are lots of delicious dishes w/ pasta that aren't pasta-focused.

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