Hosting Presto Pasta Nights and Cooking Spaghetti with Two Tomato (spaghetti ai due pomodori) Voting Opens for Project Food Buzz

 I have been following and joining in on the fun whenever I have pasta over at Presto Pasta Nights for the past few years. My cupboards are always full of pasta in countless shapes and sizes. It is simply too hard to resist at our local Italian grocers, especially since they have expanded!!! I want to have pasta every day of the year!!!!

Presto Pasta Nights event has been the baby of Ruth over at Once Upon a Feast for over 3 glorious years. Whenever we feel the urge for some pasta we can go over to her site and have 3 years of entries from all over the world to choose from from pasta salad to lasagna to Pho. All of these delicious pasta dishes have been submitted by all of you!!!

Please don't forget that voting starts today at Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog where you can read my first challenge. Check out my profile here!!!! Project Food Blog is the first-ever interactive competition where thousands of Foodbuzz Featured Publishers are competing in a series of culinary blogging challenges for the chance to advance and a shot at the ultimate prize. Voting for entries on the first challenge kicks off TODAY, and contestants will be whittled down over the next 12 weeks via exciting challenges related to food blogging.

Winners advance to the next challenge, including one lucky Reader's Choice winner who earns auto advancement to the next challenge (solely based on Reader votes. Entries are also rated by our panel of illustrious judges including:

Dana Cowin (Editor-in-Chief of FOOD and WINE Magazine), Nancy Silverton (Founder La Brea Bakery, Co-owner Mozza) and Pim Techamuanvivit (Author of ChezPim and The Foodie Handbook). Vote here!!!!!

This Friday September 24 I will be hosting Presto Pasta Nights for the very first time. Please send your recipes to More Than Burnt Toast at valleygurl43(at)hotmail(DOT)com.

As this weeks hostess I am sending along one of my favourite and simple pasta dishes from La Cucina Italiana. Two kinds of tomatoes... fresh cherry tomatoes and sun-dried tomatoes... get made into a pesto-like sauce for this summery spaghetti. The pesto can be made ahead and be kept refrigerated. It's like summer on a plate. I can just taste the warm sunshine on the tip of my tongue as I close my eyes. The sauce is not just for pasta since leftovers (if there are any) are also delicious on bruschetta or served with grilled fish or chicken.

**Spaghetti with Two Tomatoes (spaghetti ai due pomodori)**

Pesto

1 scant cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt-packed capers, rinsed, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes, then rinsed again
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes (9 ounces), quartered
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Grana Padano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives plus more for garnish

Pasta

Coarse sea salt
1 pound spaghetti
Freshly ground black pepper

For Pesto: In a blender, purée sun-dried tomatoes, oil and capers until well combined. Add cherry tomatoes and purée until smooth, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons warm water to help blend, if necessary. Transfer pesto to a large serving bowl; stir in cheese and chives.

For Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente. Drain and add to bowl with pesto; toss together until well combined. Serve immediately with chives and pepper.

Serves 4 - 6

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.