Presto Pasta Night #69

What a glorious roundup this week, hosted by Hillary at Chew On That.

Check it out and enjoy

Thanks a bunch Hillary for such a great job putting it all together and thanks to everyone for sharing such awesome dishes.

Last time around there seemed to be a lot of pestos and this week too...but there also are quite a few pastas with duck...that's something new!

Next week, I'll be hosting so send your entries to Ruth AT 4everykitchen DOT com. And if you don't have your own blog, just email the recipe and I'll be happy to post it for you.

For tips and guidelines..check here.

If you're interested, please join the Presto Pasta Night Gang on My Facebook and let's see where the fun takes us all this year!

And if you'd like to be a Presto Pasta Night Host, email me directly at Ruth@4everykitchen.com

Finding the best "How to Make Your Own Pasta" Video

After much google searching - hours really...I finally found a few instructional videos demonstrating how to make your own pasta. I hope you'll like them.

The first two are from Peter Pasta at KitchenAid. Obviously Peter uses his fancy tools to make his pasta dough. But even those of us who make it by hand, can at least understand what different flours do and the consistency the dough should be when you actually start rolling it out. And just in case you can't see it here, go to the YouTube page.

Here's Peter Pasta making Spinach Ravioli.

A third video from Keith Dunlop at About.com can be found here.

I even documented my first attempt so that you could see how things turn out even for bunglers like us.

And my good friend and PPNer Judith of Think On It , a real pasta pro, shared her easy to follow directions with photos as a response to my cries for help.

Won't you share your pasta making tips with those who want to learn.

Pesto, Pesto and More Pesto

I've been making classic Pesto - basil, garlic, olive oil and good Parmeggiano cheese - for a bazillion years and never thought to vary it. There is always a batch in my fridge to make mundane meals special. Add it to eggs for an awesome frittata, scramble or omelet. Add it to pasta for last minute dinners. Toss it in a salad...the list of things to do with it are endless.

But recently I was reviewing a Grilled Pizza cookbook and found one with a recipe for Basil Pecan Pesto that wasn't only delicious on pizzas. The nuts give it an earthier flavor than traditional basil pesto but it was great spread on wraps with loads of grilled (or raw) veggies.

And this week's Presto Pasta Night Roundup has seven...that is correct...7 very different, very awesome pestos to choose from. I felt they needed a special post all their own. And, ridiculous as it seems, the lightbulb just went off in my brain and I realized that "pesto" really just means "paste". How's that for not seeing the forest for the traditional pesto trees.

Jamie Oliver makes his with a mortar and pestle. I'm lazy and make mine in a food processor. Either way...delicious!

Here is the tip of the pesto iceberg...

Mansi of Fun & Food - Almond Pesto and a link to her cilantro walnut pesto

Ivy of Kopiaste - Mint & Parsley Pesto

Sharona May of Bird Food - Basil & Pistachio Pesto

Katie B of Other People's Food - Spinach & Almond Pesto

Avra of I've Got Food on my Brain has two! - Sundried Tomato with Sunflower Seeds, and Cilantro with Sesame & Lime

Just google "pesto recipes" and you come up with a zillion options. This place sounds fun. If you still aren't tempted to make your own...there are lots of excellent ones you can find in many grocery stores. Here's a link (never tried theirs, but they do have some delicious sounding recipes I'll be trying myself).

And don't forget that next week's Presto Pasta Night host will be...

Hillary of Chew on That. Please send your entries directly to her at ... chewonthat AT gmail DOT com

Jamie Oliver - One of My Favorite Pasta Makers

I love Jamie Oliver and my Honey isn't even jealous. In fact, he encourages me to see Jamie often....because he knows I'll always share the fantastic dishes with him.

Everyone knows Jamie makes fantastic easy and delicious dishes and I have several books of his on my bookshelf that get used often. One of my favorites (purchased after I avidly watched Jamie in Italy on Foodtv)is Jamie's Italy The book captures his adventures and is a wonderful read - even if you don't want to cook...but I dare you not to. His enthusiasm and passion are contageous.

He also has a great web site & blog where he shares his thoughts, what's happening in his very busy world and, naturally, his recipes. I love lingering there. But down to pasta business...

For those of you who are intimidated by the thought of making your own pasta...check out his easy peasy home-made pasta. And if you scroll about the site you'll discover some amazing pasta dishes.

Hopefully I'll get to see some on Presto Pasta Nights. Check out how you can share your pasta dishes or how to become a guest host.

Potato Gnocchi

One morning last week, I was sipping my capuccino at a local Starbucks, reading the local hip paper The Coast and came across an article about making Gnocchi that sounded like fun. After all, I don't have enough kitchen toys...just kidding.

Here's the recipe. Let me know how it goes. I'm still hunting for a gnocchi paddle like Chef Dennis Johnson of Fid in Halifax has.

Presto Pasta Night Roundup #67

This week is Presto Pasta Night #67 and Closet Cooking Kevin did a marvelous job of hosting. Week after week, I'm always amazed at how many fabulous dishes show up at the table. This week was no exception. Thanks to all the fantastic chefs.

Next week, I'll be hosting so send your entries to Ruth AT 4everykitchen DOT com. And if you don't have your own blog, just email the recipe and I'll be happy to post it for you.

For tips and guidelines..check here.

If you're interested, please join the Presto Pasta Night Gang on My Facebook and let's see where the fun takes us all this year!

And if you'd like to be a Presto Pasta Night Host, email me directly at ruth@4everykitchen.com

A Brief History of Pasta

Did you know that...(according to Wikipedia anyway)

Archaeologists found evidence of noodles in China dating back 4000 years...that's around 2000BC - Wow, talk about well preserved!

Second Century CE Greeks wrote about pasta as did 4th & 5th Century writings from Palestine.

All that to say..Marco Polo (13th C ) was obviously NOT the first to discover it, as legend says.

A recipe for lasagna was found in a 5th C Italian cookbook. Okay, the link to one of my own...doesn't date back that far!

And, apparently there are 350 pasta shapes! There are lots of good sites that give photos and descriptions...Wikipedia , Food Info Net , Cook's Thesaurus and the National Pasta Association (a great site for recipes, cooking tips, and a kids corner for those who really want to play with their food) are just a few.

How many shapes have you used? I think I might have to start counting.

Presto Night Pasta Host Schedule for the next 4 weeks:

June 7-12
The host will be Kevin of Closet Cooking
Send your entries to lynch.kevin AT gmail DOT com

June 14- 19
The host will be me… Once Upon a Feast
Send your entries to Ruth AT gmail DOT com

June 21 - June 26
The host will be Hillary of Chew on That
Send your entry to chewonthat AT gmail DOT org

June 27- July 3
The host will be me… Once Upon a Feast
Send your entries to Ruth AT gmail DOT com

To share a recipe for a roundup:
1. Write your post and e-mail your permalink to the host by Thursday evening so that it can be included in Friday’s roundup. Don’t forget to tell us the name you to go by, your blog’s name, and the name of your dish.

2. Be sure to include a link to that week's host and a mention to Ruth of Once Upon a Feast with the words Presto Pasta Nights in the post. (If you're late, just change the name and link to the following week's host).

If you're interested in hosting a Presto Pasta Night Roundup yourself, check out the guidelines and tips and then email me at ruth@4everykitchen.com

Please join the Presto Pasta Night Gang on My Facebook and let's see where the fun takes us all this year!

Presto Pasta Night Welcome

Presto Pasta Nights started its journey in March of 2007. Our first roundup had only 8 entries, but each one was awesome. And week after week the word spread. As of June 1, 2008 we've published over 1200 entries from all over the world.

Whether you're looking for breakfast, lunch or dinner; hot or cold; spicy or sweet; appetizers to mains to desserts. You'll find it here. There's something for every taste from the time honored traditionals to the utterly unique inventions.

But is that enough? Probably yes, but we'll be sharing even more. You'll have to come back often...it will always be a surprise and a pasta adventure...

Two exciting changes to announce:
...a new logo that you can use on your posts if you wish. I hope you like it.

...and guest hosts to share in the fun of posting a roundup. I'm really excited about that...

So no more talking... here's how to participate any way you like...

Share a pasta dish

...for June 7-12 our fantastic host... Kevin at Closet Cooking - email: lynch.kevin AT gmail DOT com

And if it's past Thursday evening, (June 12th) when you read this...send it to next week's host Ruth at Once Upon a Feast - email: ruth AT 4everykitchen DOT com

Check out the Presto Pasta Night Roundup Archives for all the great pasta dishes we've made since the first PPN.

Find out Who's Hosting Next – Meet our incredible hosts for the next four weeks.

So what are you waiting for...grab a fork and dig in!

If you're interested, please join the Presto Pasta Night Gang on My Facebook and let's see where the fun takes us all this year!

And if you'd like to be a Presto Pasta Night Host yourself, check out the details and email me at ruth@4everykitchen.com

Look Who's Hosting Presto Pasta Nights

To find out about Presto Pasta Nights and find out how to enter...scroll down past the schedule.
Schedule for the next few weeks:

November, 2008 marked a turning point...I'll be hosting once a month and turning over the reins to more guest hosts. If you're interested in hosting a Presto Pasta Night Roundup yourself, check out the guidelines and tips and then email me at ruth@4everykitchen.com

2010 needs hosts so drop me line if you're interested...and you should be, it's lots of fun. ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com

July & August, 2010

PPN #174 July 30
Host: Daphne at More Than Words
Send your entries to daphnesu16 (at) yahoo (dot) com and cc me ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by July 29
Check back for the roundup on July 30

PPN #175 August 6
Host: Ruth at Once Upon a Feast
Send your entries to ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by August 5
Check back for the roundup on August 6

PPN #176 August 13
Host: Siri at Siri's Corner
Send your entries to info (dot) siri (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by August 12
Check back for the roundup on August 13

PPN #177 August 20
Host: Katie at Thyme for Cooking
Send your entries to thyme2 (dot)kate (at) gmail (dot) com and cc ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com by August 19
Check back for the roundup on August 20

PPN #178 August 27
Host: This could be you - just drop me a line if you're interested - ruth (at) 4everykitchen (dot) com


Hard as it is to believe, that June, 2008, Kevin of Closet Cooking was our first guest host. In the spring, I asked for volunteers to host Presto Pasta Nights, hoping that at least a couple of people would want to host. The response was overwhelming. There are still some names on the list, and I apologize if I haven't gotten back to you. It seems that some emails no longer work, some people have fallen off the blogging train and others are just too busy.

To share a recipe for a roundup:
1. Write your post and e-mail your permalink to the host by Thursday evening so that it can be included in Friday’s roundup. Don’t forget to tell us the name you to go by, your blog’s name, and the name of your dish.

2. Be sure to include a link to that week's host and a mention to Ruth of Once Upon a Feast with the words Presto Pasta Nights in the post. (If you're late, just change the name and link to the following week's host).

Please join the Presto Pasta Night Gang on My Facebook and let's see where the fun takes us all this year!

A Little Presto Pasta Night History...

Presto Pasta Nights has come a long way since it started its journey in March of 2007. Our first roundup had only 8 entries, but each one was awesome. And week after week the word spread. As of June 1, 2008 we've published over 1200 entries from all over the world.

Every week food bloggers around the world photograph and write about their latest pasta creation… if it’s for breakfast, lunch or dinner; served hot or cold; spicy or sweet; from appetizers to mains to desserts, you’ll find it in the roundup published every Friday with links and photos to all the posts.

I hosted the first 66 Presto Pasta Night Roundups all by myself and then decided to share the fun with guest hosts. So this is the place to check out who will be hosting. I'll be updating it regularly so that you can see the next month's hosts at a glance and how to contact them.

For guidelines and tips on sending in an entry or thinking about hosting yourself...check here

Presto Pasta Host Guidelines & Tips

Presto Pasta Night fans are so glad you want to host one of the roundups. Here are some guidelines and tips on making life easy for you.

Guidelines:
1. Post the roundup on Friday - not too early so that those North American West Coasters have a chance to enter.

2. Unlike some other events, Presto Pasta Nights has purposefully been kept open…no specific themes, just general, anything goes pasta dishes.

3. Mention and link to Presto Pasta Nights plus the host for the following week with their link & email. You'll find the info on the Who's Hosting Next page. Use AT for @ and DOT for . to hinder spammers. Kindly mention Ruth of Once Upon a Feast as well.

4. Include photos (even if they are tiny snapshots) of each dish.

Tips to make life easy:

1. You may use the Presto Pasta Night icon if you wish, to attract attention.
(place jpeg here)

2. It’s best to post early in the week with your own pasta dish and mention that you’re the host for the week…link to Presto Pasta Nights, giving your email address.

I will be posting "this week's host" on Once Upon a Feast as well as Presto Pasta Nights. And I do know how difficult it is to get a post up early on…often not making it until Thursday myself, but earlier is better if you expect to draw entries.

3. Photos: there are several ways to go about this, depending on your ISP and connectivity issues….
- some people include a jpeg with their email to you, (most won't)
- some people like to keep their photos on flickr, so you can upload them there (or which ever other service you use) to add to your roundup post.
- some people, like me, just upload directly to the computer in a file for Presto Pasta Night.

4. Start a draft of the roundup when the first entry arrives in your email and add the rest as they come in…it saves time and energy on Friday.

5. Email back to those submitting to you, so they know you’ve received it. It’s also a nice touch if you could leave a comment on their post.

6. Please forward the emails to me as a back up in case of technical challenges... It is rare, but it does happen.

Most important...HAVE FUN WITH IT!!! And thanks a million for hosting.

If you're interested, please join the Presto Pasta Night Gang on My Facebook and let's see where the fun takes us all this year!

And if you'd like to be a Presto Pasta Night Host, email me directly at ruth@4everykitchen.com