The “Faze Pasta Special”
The origins of pasta in Italy is widely disputed with some attributing its rise to Marco Polo bringing it back with him from his trip to China during the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368), where the Chinese had been enjoying “noodles” as far back at 3000 B.C. However, many historians believe that Arabs from Libya brought now-staple Italian foods like pasta, spinach and eggplant to the Mediterranean basin, perhaps as early as the 5th century A.D. All I know for sure is that I love pasta. Spaghetti. Penne. Macaroni. Rotini. And all those other ones I can never remember (according to the International Pasta Organization there are more than 600 different shapes of pasta now produced throughout the world). So, when I was invited to a cooking class hosted by Barilla Canada and Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni, I jumped at the chance. He would share his tips and tricks for the perfect pasta dish and promised I’d go from pan to plate in 10 minutes flat. That’s a big promise, and I was somewhat skeptical, but I was in!
First things first, I knew this was serious business when the evening began with wine, a cheese and charcuterie (the cured meat portion) board, and there was a chef hat and blank recipe card waiting for me at my cooking station (no pressure, right?).
When I asked Chef (yes, I really did call him “Chef,” just like in all the cooking shows!) to share his top tips for an amazing pasta dish, there was no hesitation, “Fresh, fresh, fresh ingredients,” he says, and of course “high-quality pasta”. With so many choices, I wasn’t sure where to start. Apparently, Parmesan cheese is the most popular spaghetti topping, and traditionally cheese and black pepper were the only ingredients added to flavour the dish. But who can stop at just cheese and black pepper? And why would you? Then it came to me: just throw in everything I love! Why not, right? That’s what cooking is all about, creating masterpieces with foods you love. Btw, the word pasta comes from the Italian word paste.
The Challenge:
Create the perfect pasta dish in just 10 minutes. Now, I did not take this challenge lightly, especially the “10 minutes” part. Yes, we know you have things to do, so when Barilla claimed their “Pronto” pasta could go from pan to plate in basically the same time it takes me to brew a cup of tea, well, it was on! If true, this was something I’d want to share with all you busy ladies. I grabbed some of my fave ingredients including Gorgonzola cheese, shrimp, tomatoes, lots of garlic and pumpkin (since Chef suggested it would balance out the cheese nicely), and approached my cooking station. The timer was set. Ten minutes on the clock. And go! Pasta and water was in, seven minutes later I threw in my main ingredients and three minutes later I had dinner on my plate. And it was perfetto! Perfect! And seriously, it took exactly 10 minutes to go from water and pasta in the pan to an amazing meal on my plate. The pasta itself was, as it should be, al dente, which is firm but still tender. The literal translation is “to the tooth”.
The “Faze Pasta Special”
Cook time: 10 minutes (exactly!)
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 box Barilla® Pronto™ Spaghetti
3 cups cold water
2 cups peeled, uncooked shrimp
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup pureed pumpkin
1/4 red onion, sliced
4 tbsp black olives, sliced
4 tbsp Gorgonzola cheese
3 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 lemon
5 basil leaves, cut into small pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation:
POUR the whole box of pasta into a 12 inch skillet. ADD water, ensuring pasta is covered. Optional: add ½ teaspoon salt to taste. COOK on high, stirring regularly, until most of the water is absorbed, about 7 minutes.
ADD shrimp, pumpkin, tomatoes, juice from lemon, onions and garlic; cook an additional 3 minutes.
REMOVE from heat. SERVE topped with basil and Gorgonzola.
Creating the “Faze Pasta Special” for #ProntoNight with Executive Chef Lorenzo Boni.
Barilla Pronto Pasta Must-Try Recipes!
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 box Barilla® Pronto™ Spaghetti
3 cups cold water
2 cups chicken breast, cooked
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
½ cup Asiago cheese, shredded
5 basil leaves, chiffonade
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation:
POUR the whole box of pasta into a 12 inch skillet. ADD water, ensuring pasta is covered. Optional: add ½ teaspoon salt to taste. COOK on high, stirring regularly, until most of the water is absorbed, about 7 minutes.
ADD chicken, tomatoes and vinegar; cook an additional 3 minutes.
REMOVE from heat, fold in cheese. SERVE topped with basil.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 box Barilla® Pronto™ Penne
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 14-ounce package, smoked beef sausage or kielbasa, sliced into coins
3 cups cold water
1 ½ cups BBQ sauce
1 bunch green onions, chopped
Preparation:
SAUTÉ sausage in olive oil in a 12 inch skillet for 3-4 minutes or until golden brown.
POUR the whole box of pasta into the skillet. ADD water, ensuring pasta is covered. Optional: add ½ teaspoon salt to taste. COOK on high, stirring regularly for approximately 8 minutes. ADD BBQ sauce, bring to a simmer and cook for 2 minutes until most of the water and sauce are absorbed.
REMOVE from heat and stir well. SERVE topped with green onions.
Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients:
1 box Barilla® Pronto™ Rotini
3 cups cold water
½ tablespoon dry mustard
1 cup heavy cream
1 ½ cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
¾ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper to taste
Preparation:
POUR the whole box of pasta into a 12 inch skillet. ADD water, ensuring pasta is covered. Optional: add ½ teaspoon salt to taste. COOK on high, stirring regularly, until most of the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes.
ADD dry mustard and cream and bring to a simmer.
REMOVE from heat and gently fold in cheeses and parsley. SERVE immediately.
You can find Barilla® Pronto™ in four varieties at major grocery stores across Canada. SRP: $2.39 per box.
Barilla® Pronto™ Cut Macaroni
Barilla® Pronto™ Penne
Barilla® Pronto™ Rotini
Barilla® Pronto™ Half-Cut Spaghetti
For more great recipes and tips on Barilla Pronto and other Barilla products follow @BarillaCAN on Twitter. And don’t forget to share your own creations using #ProntoNight — we’d love to see them!
This is a sponsored post by Barilla Pronto Pasta. Although this post is sponsored, all opinions are my own.
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