Friday, May 28, 2010

Rounding Up Pasta Presto Nights #165

I had an eye-opening, enjoyable time serving as the current guest host for Presto Pasta Nights, the weekly sampler of pastaliciousness started by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast over three years ago. In this edition, PPN #165, we had eighteen submissions showing a splendid variety of noodles, seasonings and accompaniments. Many dishes used the herbs and vegetables of Spring and all were tantalizing.

Grab your pasta fork and let's dig in!

Lemon and Anchovies is trying to ward off unseasonably cool weather from her Northern California home with a gorgeous bowl of Pasta Salad with Arugula and Four Herbs. She claims that this is the best-tasting recipe she has ever posted on her blog, so I'll be sure to test drive this recipe!

Rotini with Spinach and Asiago Cheese was on the menu over at Gramma's Cookin. It sounds like the perfect pasta for lighter eating now that the Northern Hemisphere (except for Northern California, apparently) is easing into hot summer weather.

Daphne at More than Words in far off Perth, Australia, teaches us how to prepare Risoni Salad with Honey Pork Patties. Risoni is a rice-shaped pasta (I wonder if it is the same thing as orzo?) that she dresses with peppers, lemon, corn and peas for a tangy salad.

After scooping up the best looking bunch of radish leaves (with radishes attached) at her Toronto farmer's market, Elizabeth from blog from OUR kitchen turned out a fab dish of Penne with Radish Leaves and Broccoli. Sounds terrifically good and I am glad to learn about the edibility of radish leaves, which Elizabeth also uses sauteed in omelettes.

Feeling a bit under the weather made Cool Lassie turn to her Pan Gravy Kadai Curry kitchen for some food medicine in the form of Algerian Couscous Salad with green lentils and a colorful medley of gourmet tomatoes. This dish must have improved her spirits with all those healthy, tasty ingredients.

Orzo makes an appearance in Split Pear-sonality's recipe for Orzo Tabbouleh. This Middle Eastern salad traditionally uses bulgur wheat as the main ingredient, but this pasta-rific version would be perfect to bring to a summer party.

Over in France, Katie of Thyme for Cooking used up the tail end of the seasonal green garlic and asparagus to make a lovely supper of Fried Gnocchi with Asparagus and Tomatoes. Magnifique~!

Apu took the classic recipe for baked macaroni and cheese and gave it a little twist with a mix of chopped vegetables over at her food blog Annarasa. Looks like a great variation on a crowd favorite.

Everyone's favorite comfort carb, macaroni and cheese, gets another overhaul with Brie, black olives and a crusty garlic bread topping from Reeni over at Cinnamon Spice and Everything Nice.

My Hawaiian blogger buddy, Claudia of Honey from Rock made homemade beef raviolis with a chiffonade of beet and mustard greens, swirled in truffle butter. Excuse me while I swoon. (Claudia is a two-time winner of Cook the Books, a bimonthly foodie book club that explores various food-related books, and she knows her way around truffles, having cooked up a prize-winning Omelette aux Truffes to win the Cook the Books edition featuring Peter Mayle's book "French Lessons".)

Speaking of ravioli, memories of foraging for fiddlehead ferns and other wild edibles in her native Maine inspired Think On It to make up a batch of tender homemade ravioli with stinging nettles in her new hometown in Umbria.

Homemade cavatelli got topped with some fresh-picked favas, kale, dandelion greens and spinach in this healthy, tasty spring pasta dish sent in by Feeding Maybelle.

Despite its creamy appearance, the Healthy Chicken Zucchini Alfredo Pasta recipe submitted by Holy Cannoli Recipes doesn't contain heavy cream at all, but instead combines skim milk, evaporated nonfat milk and cheese to make the rich sauce. This contribution to Pasta Presto Nights is Holy Cannoli's first appearance at Pasta Presto Nights, so be sure to stop by her blog to say hello and welcome her to our noodly world.

Debby over at A Feast for the Eyes seared up some sea scallops and served them over pasta with a tasty white wine sauce and Presto! we have a luscious scallop pasta with which to feast our virtual eyes.

Curry leaves are wonderfully aromatic and can be found at Indian and Asian markets for those who are not familiar with them. Rachana used them to perfume her dish of Curry Leaves Pasta over at Sizzle N Spice.

Pam at Sidewalk Shoes turned out a fantastic Fettuccine with Mushrooms, Lemon and Prosciutto for her contribution to Presto Pasta Nights this week. She adapted a recipe from Donna Hay to use her own homegrown oregano and some preserved lemon rind and it sounds decadent indeed.

To wrap things up, your happening host, the Crispy Cook made a gluten-free, vegetarian lasagna using rice noodles layered with spinachy ricotta, artichoke hearts and sauteed portabella mushrooms. It was a lovely combination of flavors.

Thanks again to Ruth for giving me this opportunity to host Presto Pasta Nights and for all the wonderful cooks who shared their recipes, photos and writing. Next week, this event will be hosted by Ruth herself, our own Pasta Maven, so be sure to send her your fabulous pasta creations to keep us all inspired in the kitchen.

10 comments:

Great job with the hosting of this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup. I love your commentary and can't wait to check out the individual recipes....once I'm at Phase two of South Beach Dieting, that is.

Cook the Books

A Foodie Book Club

Gluten Free Goddess

What I'm Reading for Cook the Books

Comfort Me With Apples, by Ruth Reichl

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