Presto Pasta Nights #241: the roundup

It's Friday and therefore it's time to share the pasta dishes that I have received in my inbox throughout the week. In the US, this is also a "special" Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, a celebration rich in food traditions. Those traditions don't include pasta, but I am sure leftovers from the Thanksgiving table will provide inspiration for creative pasta dishes. That, of course, is for the next few days. Today, we are looking at dishes cooked up last week.

Without further ado, here is the roundup of edition #241 of Presto Pasta Nights, the popular event created by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. For each contribution, I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a short quote or brief description — a teaser that invites you to follow the link to read the relevant post.

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Gilli of So So Simple Food shares with us Citrusy Couscous
A healthy dish, "fresh fragrant and fast," put together using available goodies: blanched almonds, an orange and celery, sultanas, onions and couscous… Plus fresh herbs from the garden.

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Elizabeth of The Law Student's Cookbook shows us her Pastitsio
The combination of noodles, a red sauce, and a bechamel sauce makes this traditional Greek dish. "Cinnamon… gives it a sweeter flavor than other meat-pasta dishes."

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Juli of Pictures of all my princesses shares with us Bacon Spaetzle
"I saw someone mention not too long ago that they had bacon spaetzle. Enough said, it had to be done." Kielbasa and chicken also joined the party.

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Michelle of Ms. enPlace prepared "Risotto" with roasted vegetables.
A dish "pretty loaded down with veggies. The kind I like best. The roasted kind. It's a "use it up" sort of recipe — you know the type. Grab what's in the produce drawer and toss it in."

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Alisha of Cook. Craft. Enjoy. presents Sesame Noodles
"These are more peanut sesame noodles than really sesame noodles… Sprinkle with black and white sesame seeds — almost like it's too much."

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Ching of Little Corner of Mine prepared Stir Fried Lo Mein with Pumpkin
"I stir-fried the pumpkin with yellow noodle or lo mein.  Can you spot the pieces of pumpkin on my noodle?  It went so well together too."

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Ruth of Once Upon a Feast prepared Roasted Chicken & Butternut Squash Fusilli
"Sometimes the chicken is ready first, sometimes the squash, but all in all a quick and easy combination to prepare while you're chilling out or rushing about doing other things…"

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Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch shares Cabbage Noodles
"Cabbage and noodles sounded good to me so I went ahead and threw this together… They probably don't put carrots in the dish, but I felt I needed some color!"

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Simona of briciole (your host for this week) presents gnocchi di ricotta
"The routine goes like this: I make cheese using two gallons of milk, then I make ricotta with the leftover whey and finally I make gnocchi with the ricotta."

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And that concludes my roundup, which will be added to all the previous Presto Pasta Nights roundups and continue the lovely tradition started by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

As you read this, edition #242 is already under way, hosted by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. To participate, send your entries to ruth AT 4everykitchen DOT com by Thursday, December 1.

Many thanks to all who contributed to produce an interesting collection of pasta dishes for this edition of Presto Pasta Nights. I do hope I have not left anybody out of the roundup. If you find that, notwithstanding my best intentions, I actually have omitted a post, please send me a note.

Arrivederci a presto

Presto Pasta Nights #219: the roundup

It's Friday and therefore it is time to share the pasta dishes that I have received in my inbox throughout the week (links and photos, of course, though I certainly wish someone could figure out a way to receive actual tasting samples).

Without further ado, here is the roundup of edition #219 of Presto Pasta Nights, the popular event created by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. For each contribution, I will give you the official information (author, blog name and post title) and a short quote or brief description that summarizes it — a small bite, a sample of the delicacy to be fully savored by reading the relevant post.

Jeannette of Jeanette's Healthy Living prepared Pasta with Sauteed Swiss Chard
"Toss sautéed Swiss chard with some pasta for a one dish meal. So simple, yet so good."

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Joanne from Eats Well With Others prepared Summer Squash and Corn Pasta
"This pasta is at once sweet and spicy… It's a meal so simple and fresh flavored that you'll swear you're eating summer."

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Tina of Life on the Slow Lane at Squirrel Manor Head made Oregano Spaghetti
In the movie "No Reservations" Nick wins over Zoe "with his calm demeanor and ability to prepare her Oregano Spaghetti….a simple meal. Which is what most kids love…simplicity."

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Petra of Foodfreak prepared Zucchini and Ricotta-stuffed Pasta Shells
"The combination of lemon, zucchini and ricotta is very nicely balanced by the tomato sauce. A keeper recipe."

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tigerfish of Teczcape – An Escape to Food prepared Capellini Aglio e Olio with Zucchini, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms — "What can you do with a packet of steamed vegetables? Create a light, refreshing and delicious summer-worthy pasta dish."

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Stash of The Spamwise Chronicles prepared Spaghetti with Scallops, Jersey Tomatoes and Herbs
"For this dish to work, you really need to have fresh tomatoes at the peak of their ripeness… Fresh, sweet, ripe tomatoes bursting with juice are absolutely key."

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Tandy of Lavender and Lime prepared Spaghetti Bolognese
"This recipe is not traditional in the slightest, but is made with the memory of Bologna close to mind."

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Lauren of Healthy. Delicious. prepared Mussels with Saffron and Tomato Sauce
The sauce has "a luxurious, velvety texture that clings lightly to each strand of pasta, and a complex flavor… [It] is the stuff dreams are made of."

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Elizabeth of The Law Student's Cookbook prepared Cheesy Turkey Penne
"By no means was this a difficult dish. By no means was it a plain dish… It was perfect to make this pasta after work, when I just want to eat and eat quick."

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Sarah of La Cuisine de Sarah prepared Conchiglie Pasta with Carrot and Thyme Sauce, Mushrooms and Sausage — "A puréed carrot pasta sauce may not sound that appetising, but with some lovely fresh thyme and good seasoning, it makes a nice creamy sauce."

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Deb of Kahakai Kitchen prepared Cherry Tomato, Caper, and Balsamic Sauce with Pappardelle
A simple, fresh sauce to celebrate the beauty of "real" tomatoes (which she can get throughout the year since she is "lucky to live Hawaii").

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Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. prepared Exotic Lamb Neck & Bean Stew with Couscous
"because, even in the summer there are some damp and dreary days that need some slow cooking."

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Sara of Cupcake Muffin prepared Pasta with Sun-dried Tomato Cream Sauce and Chicken
"The sun dried tomatoes add a wonderful deep tomato-y flavor," and the roasted red peppers go well with them.

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Victoria of Mission: Food prepared Macaroni and Cheese with Mushrooms
"A great adult mac and cheese that kids would enjoy too (and a great way to include veggies into one of their favorite foods)."

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Juli of Pictures of all my Princesses prepared Garlic Lemon Chicken,
which she alternates what she serves it over, but she's been really into pasta with tangy lemony sauces over them, so this week she is serving it with pasta.

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Marta of Mangiare è un po' come viaggiare prepared Spaghettoni with Smoked Herring and Sour Cream
Sour cream, fillets of smoked herring preserved in oil, capers and hot chili peppers make up the sauce for fresh bigoli (a kind of pasta traditional of the Veneto region)

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Simona of briciole (your host) prepared tagliatelle with tomato sauce and fava beans
A simple tomato sauce, blanched and peeled fava beans, basil and cheese make a nice dress for a plate of homemade tagliatelle.

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And that concludes my roundup, which will be added to all the previous Presto Pasta Nights roundups and continue the lovely tradition started by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

As you read this, edition #220 is already under way, hosted by the event's founder, Ruth of Once Upon a Feast. To participate, send your entries to ruth AT 4everykitchen DOT com by Thursday, June 30.

Many thanks to all who contributed to produce an interesting collection of pasta dishes for this edition of Presto Pasta Nights. I do hope I have not left anybody out of the roundup. If you find that, notwithstanding my best intentions, I actually have omitted a post, please send me a note.

Arrivederci a presto