I Went to the Pasta World Championship in Italy, and It Was a Carb-Lover's Dream Come True

Allow me to introduce you to the most important Olympics that has ever existed. Before the competition kicked off, all 17 chefs walked out to dramatic music holding their respective flags, and the energy was as electric as a playoff game in a stadium. Some of the contestants even had their own friends, family, and support groups cheering them on with signs! As someone who couldn't care less about sports, I've never been more pumped up by a crowd in stadium seats. But also, there was wine instead of beer in plastic cups, and tongs instead of footballs . . . so yeah, a little different.

Everything moved quickly as chefs had to prepare their stations before the one-hour clock kicked off each round. The other attendees and I watched up-close as contestants from Sweden, Romania, Italy, Brazil, Norway, and more demonstrated laser focus and killer cooking skills.

There's nothing like a food-focused trip to Italy to really pay attention to the cooking details that make a big difference. I took note as the chef from Italy, Lucia De Prai, worked her magic. Here, she sautéed minced garlic and anchovies in olive oil until the anchovy fillets became so tender, they essentially disintegrated into the oil. Personally, anchovies are one of my favorite pantry staples for making pasta, because they give it that "can't quite put my finger on it" savory taste.

Here, Ludvig Saluvuo, the competitor from Sweden, is tossing his pasta with a pureed sunchoke sauce. Creating a smooth, velvety sauce from pureed vegetables and aromatics (like onions, herbs, and citrus) is an easy way to elevate your pasta.

One of the coolest parts of the event was seeing just how different each competitor approached pasta. Ludvig finished his vegetarian dish with a vibrant pesto, crispy fried sunchokes, and hazelnuts for an added crunch. This whole experience was just further proof that you can seriously do anything with a box of dried pasta — name a more versatile food.

One thing I noticed as I made my way from station to station is that every chef used kitchen tweezers for everything from stirring to plating. The thin tongs are a staple in most chefs' kitchens, and they'll make your pasta cooking process a lot more enjoyable.

See what I mean? The key to a beautifully twirled plate of pasta is all in the tool you use. Regular tongs work well, but a pair of tweezers is even better.

Here's one more visual of the twirling technique for good measure. An easy way to do it is by holding a big ladle in one hand and the tweezers in the other hand as you twirl in a circular motion.

Uni! Squid ink! Garlic galore! Being around SO many beautiful plates of pasta made me a little emotional. The misconception of pasta in America is that it's "bad," but that's because people are used to heaping portions with ingredients that aren't always fresh (jarred Alfredo sauce, anyone?). In Italy, it's a different ball game. Pasta is eaten on a regular basis, but people consume smaller portions and celebrate fresh ingredients.

After an intense two days of competition, the US chef (Carolina Diaz) and the Chinese chef (Toby Wang) went head to head for the final round. This time, instead of making the dishes of their choice, the chefs had to make the same dish with the same ingredients: spaghetti pomodoro. It doesn't get much more classic than this simple Italian staple, which is traditionally only made with cherry tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, and Parmesan.

After two days of intense cook-offs, Carolina Diaz, chef de cuisine at Terzo Piano at the Art Institute of Chicago, was crowned the winner. She's the first-ever female winner of this competition, and she's a total badass. She told the judges, "I put my heart on the plate. Thanks for receiving it."

Now she gets to live her life with the world's coolest title. I may or may not be known as the "pasta princess" in my friend group (OK, I am), but the "Pasta World Champion" is the level of pasta extra I aspire to be.

My trusty al dente shirt and I will never forget this experience. This unreal Italy trip not only taught me how to achieve the perfect twirl, but it also reminded me to never stop living your truth (in my case, living a pasta-centric lifestyle). It just might lead you to a place you never expected to be.

Travel and expenses for the author were provided by Barilla for the purpose of writing this story.