Crossword Genius

Over a dish of Italian food (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

pasta

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'italian food' is the definition.
(type of Italian food)

'over a' is the wordplay.
'over' becomes 'past' (I've seen this before).
'past'+'a'='PASTA'

'dish of' is the link.
I am not very happy about this link. Some or all of it may belong to another bit of the clue.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for pasta that I've seen before include "dish of food" , "dish that's Italian" , "Dried flour paste for making Italian food" , "dish high in carbohydrates" , "Fare from Italy" .)

I've seen this clue in The Globe and Mail.
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