Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Straw and Hay - Pasta for Outdoor Wednesday


Straw is a hollow grain stalk.


Hay is a grain or legume.


Straw and Hay is a wonderful pasta dish.



From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...
This recipe for Straw and Hay, called Paglia e Fieno Papalina, is based on a pasta entree we had at Romeo Salta's restaurant in New York City. The restaurant is now gone, but wonderful memories of good times and great food are still with us, and the few recipes we have from those days are treasured. I'd love to tell you that this dish is easy to make. It actually is, if you have a source for fresh plain and green fettucine, or are willing to settle for the packaged dried equivalent. If you make your own pasta, you'll hate me. I want to point out that the two pastas are cooked in separate pots. This is done to prevent the green pasta from bleeding into the white and it also allows the pasta to cook more quickly. I've cut way back on the butter and substituted half-and-half for the heavy cream that was used when this dish was made tableside at the restaurant. I've also removed peas from the ingredient list. If you want more green than parsley can provide, feel free to add 1/2 to 1 cup petite peas to the mix. Though I do extensive mise en place ahead of time, I make this dish for and in front of guests. Simple things wow people. Although this was originally meant to be a first course, I serve it as an entree with a salad and a really great bread. I make it a point to finish this meal with a dessert that sure to be a stunner. Last night it was a warm lemon souffle, served straight from the oven while it's top hat was still standing tall. It was a lovely compliment to the richness of the pasta. Here's my rendering of Romeo's Straw and Hay. I do hope you'll try it. I know you'll love it.

Straw and Hay - Paglia e Fieno Papalina
...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1/2 pound spinach fettucine
1/2 pound fettucine
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
4 tablespoons butter, divided use
1 clove garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pound prosciutto, diced
1 cup light cream or half-and-half
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1) Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet. Add mushrooms and saute for 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
2) Melt reserved 2 tablespoons butter in a second skillet. Add prosciutto and brown; keep warm.
3) Heat cream in a microwave on HIGH power until warm, about 1 minute.
4) Cook each pasta in a separate pot of boiling salted water, following label directions. Drain well and toss with a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking.
5) Toss noodles with mushrooms, prosciutto, cream and Parmesan cheese until well coated. Season to taste with salt and pepper. I use about 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Transfer to a warm serving platter and serve. Yield: 4 - 6 servings.

This recipe is being linked to:

Outdoor Wednesday, an event sponsored by Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.

Presto Pasta Nights, being hosted this week by Heather at Girlichef

79 comments :

Claudia said...

Awesome post!! As always...

If you have a moment — I would love you to stop by and say hi!

TTFN~~ Claudia ♥ ♥

a quiet life said...

love those giant piles! i used to call those rolls tournedos of beef when a kid, i guess i have been a wee bit too intereste in food!

looks delish as always~

Lyndas recipe box said...

This is a lovely presentation, Mary for a delicious looking dish. I love the white and green pasta together!

Patricia @ ButterYum said...

Mmm, pasta - my ultimate comfort food! This dish sounds so tasty! I suppose if someone really wanted to, they could cook the white pasta before the green, avoiding the need for two pots of boiling water. Just a thought.

I'd eat at your table any time!

:)
ButterYum

Martha said...

This looks really good -- love the name!

Mary Bergfeld said...

Butter Yum :-) you could do that but then you have to figure out how to keep the plain pasta warm.

Regina said...

Another wonderful post and recipe!

Jeanne said...

Great photos. As always.

Smita Srivastava said...

Hi Mary !!!
This recipe looks yummy , I just love the innovative name that u've given to it .....Mmmmm... eager to give it a try !!

I have a food art blog http://littlefoodjunction.blogspot.com/
Do sneak a peek when time permits .
- Smita

Shirley said...

This sounds delicious! I like anything that has the word pasta in it.

Unknown said...

Yum! Pass the "Straw and Hay" please?
Have a great rest of the week!
~Really Rainey~

The Quintessential Magpie said...

Oh, that sounds delicious, Mary! I wonder if I can eat pasta for breakfast???

XO,

Sheila :-)

Kat said...

Yum! This sounds delicious. And easy (since I don't make my own pasta) I was lucky enough to find a woman locally who makes and dries pasta. It's not fresh, but still very good. Kathy

Schnitzel and the Trout said...

Love this! Must try. Also still thinking about your lemon souffle.... Just curious..do you ask the waiter if the chef will share the recipe when you find something in a restaurant you really like, or do you 'figure' it out?

Pat@Back Porch Musings said...

Beautiful pasta dish, Mary!

Donna-FFW said...

What a gorgeous photo. There is nothing NOT to like about this dish. Simply delicious.

Hootin Anni said...

Mmmmmmmmmm, I think I've told you, I love pasta dishes. And your Outdoor Photos are super Mary.

Mine today is the Annual Jazz Festival in town. Come by if you can. CLICK HERE

Have a glorious Wednesday.

Katy ~ said...

Beautifully photographed and just as delicious as it looks I am sure. I love the name of this recipe and never knew there was a difference between straw and hay. I'm saving this to try.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Susan, I'm not hesitant to ask for a recipe, though not all chefs/restaurants are accommodating. I've gotten to be pretty good about identifying what is in a dish. I think you'll like the lemon souffle, but I'm making lemon pudding for tomorrow.

the wild raspberry said...

sounds great ...
and thanks for the science lesson on stray and hay~ i was just wondering about the difference a couple days ago!
chasity

Wawa said...

The pasta looks wonderful, but I just have to point out that you've got hay and straw backwards. Hay is the legume (or grass), straw is the hollow stalk. :)

SmilingSally said...

What a mouth-watering picture that pasta makes! Thanks for sharing, Mary.

My Little Space said...

This is the type of pasta I like..creamy sauce! Looks great.

Mary Bergfeld said...

Thanks, Wawa. Duly noted. I don't know how I did that but it's been corrected.

Foley said...

Looks and sounds delicious - love your photos!!! We have fields of the round bales throughout the year..love seeing acres and acres of them.

Cathy said...

What a beautiful pasta dish, Mary. The white and green are lovely together and worth the extra time to cook them separately.

LV said...

That is a lovely view of the hay field and the sky so clear and bright. I enjoyed the view and food.

George Gaston said...

Mary… the aroma of fresh cut straw or hay is as aromatic, as something good cooking in a kitchen. Thanks for the terrific photos and tempting pasta recipe.

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Claudia is right...awesome...as always. The green and white pasta makes a wonderful presentation...

Glenda/MidSouth said...

Beautiful photos. The pasta looks good. Thanks for stopping by. The horse was on display last Summer then auctioned off Oct. 2008 - don't know where she is now. There were over 20 horses, and each one was different.

Karen at Nittany Inspirations said...

I have eaten this dish, or a version of it in an Italian restaurant in State College, PA. Now I can make it at home. Thanks

Alyssa said...

How lovely, and it sounds delicious!

Katherine Roberts Aucoin said...

What a wonderful pasta dish and I'm sure the memories make it even more special. The addition of the proscuitto has me sold.

My name is Riet said...

What a beautiful post . The outdoorlooks great and so do the dishes. Thank you for visiting

Maria said...

I am always up for a good pasta dish!

Wandering Chopsticks said...

The first time I had this was years ago at the Cheesecake Factory. I liked the sound of the combo of pastas. Funny how we encounter and then recreate dishes from restaurants. :)

Donna said...

I love pasta and I love your post!
Thanks for visiting my blog.
:) Donna

Pam said...

This sounds so good! Straw and hay, yum!

Ms. Bake-it said...

Another fabulous post from the origin to the dish! The recipe sounds delicious!

Thank you for sharing!

~ Tracy

Joyce said...

My kind of meal:) I made the pumpkin cake and it did not stick as I followed your directions. It went to school for the teachers today so I will not get to taste it but it sure looked and smelled good. Thanks again.
Joyce

Ms.Daisy said...

Love those hay bales and rolls...a sure sign of Autumn!! Pasta is one of my favorite dishes although I do now have to limit myself! :)



~Jean

penny said...

A very lovely post, Mary. I always get hungry when I look at the wonderful food you prepare.

pigpigscorner said...

haha what a fun name! Looks so good!

Peg said...

This sounds so good, even if it is a lot of trouble. I love the name!!

Signing Out said...

Yum...this looks and sounds scrumptious! I am suddenly very hungry and need to get a snack, as it's not quite suppertime yet.

Jane

Becky K. said...

Oh My goodness! Warm Lemon Souffle! That is a meal topper, for sure! The pasta looks very pretty.

Becky K

erin's art and gardens said...

many are confused about the difference between straw and hay...yummy looking recipe!

From the Old InkWell said...

Hi Mary, Just wanted you to know I mentioned and linked to your pumpkin cupcakes in my post today. Can't wait to try them out!

ellen b. said...

Hello Mary! Those hay shots are really great. And your food as usual looks fabulous!! That really looks and sounds like a pasta dish I'd really enjoy...

noble pig said...

It's certainly a lovely stack!

Charlene said...

Dear Mary I am so glad you found the story of "honey" & his pumpkin funny. It really was at the time & still is if you listen to him go on....

Your Straw & Hay Pasta sounds wonderful!!! Everything I see on your blog sounds wonderful! I can only imagine the meals at your house are heavenly! I would weigh a million pounds. :) Glad you substitued 1/2 & 1/2 for heavy cream. I would love to try this. Have a wonderful week my friend.

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

Mary I make my own fettuccine, using either basil when it is in season, or spinach to color the green version. This looks like a wonderful recipe! I like how you reduced the fat to make it more heart healthy. It is really interesting how you link recipes with different blog themes ...very imaginative.

Oh and as a city girl I never knew there was a difference between straw and hay! I learned something new --thank you! :-)

The Blonde Duck said...

That is so cute! I love that!

Cindy (Applestone Cottage) said...

Great post, just love that delicious looking pasta! Cindy

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

Dear Mary, I love visiting your place here. This is another delicious recipe I want to try!

theUngourmet said...

This is wonderful Mary! I love the two colors of pasta together in one dish. Nice!

Heather S-G said...

Well, isn't this lovely!! Looks delicious :D (and would be a perfect entry into Presto Pasta Nights this week!! ;)

Emily said...

OH! Lovely blog! Yum yum. LOVE to cook here. :)

The Cooking Photographer said...

Wow. Saving to my Mary folder...

Krystal Kats said...

Great photos and the recipe and photos look yummy! thanks for sharing.

Blue Creek Home said...

I know this is not a pretty thing to say, but everytime I visit you I leave drooling!!!!
You have the best recipes!
Rhonda

Karen said...

I love the photos...and this pasta looks so good. Pasta is one of my many weaknesses ;) Thanks for sharing! Have a wonderful evening, Mary. Karen

Tricia said...

What a creative and unique way to combine outdoor Wednesday and delicious food. Your deserts sound wonderful. Your blog is absolutely inspiring. I cooked chicken cacciatore tonight, I think because of perusing your blog and deciding to go cook. My family was very appreciative : )

Thanks,too,for stopping by my blog. Hope you had a great day.

Abatevintage said...

OH Mary it definately looked delicious. I love pasta.

Blessings,
Heidi

Kathleen said...

Those look delicious, and I am fine without the peas!!
Now tell me, are you really from NY??:)

Mary Bergfeld said...

Kathleen I lived in New Jerset, about 17 mile outside NYC for almost 30 years. My job took me into the city twice a week,

Claudia said...

I love love this recipe. I have a Romeo Salta cookbook - one of my first cookbooks ever. Must see if it's in there.

Ebie said...

Oh, Ms. Mary thanks for the tip, cause I would have cooked them together in one pot!

Such a simple and easy dish.

RYC: I have been to 2 Japanese Gardens but have not seen any area, where they pay homage.

Thanks again for sharing your wonderful photos and recipe!

Lori said...

I would never hate you Mary- I might curse you as I make the pasta from scratch. (ha ha). THis sounds wonderful. We have a wonderful grocery store called Wegmans here. They have "near fresh" pasta like this. I think I would love this.

Jane said...

Yum! I love this dish!!!

Thanks for stopping by today.
Jane (Artfully Graced)

Ginger said...

Mary,

I just love your blog. I love the photos, the recipes, the very informative information. EVERYTHING on your blog is AWESOME!!! Oh, I almost forgot the pasta looks incredible. :-)

Carly said...

Wow, that looks amazing! I'll have to figure out what prosciutto is...

sherri@lavenderfields said...

Wonderful pictures. that sky looks so nice and blues against the hay. Looks like a great pasta recipe too!! Happy outdoor Wednesday! Sherri

Mary Bergfeld said...

Carly, I've gone to your blog with the answer to your question as well as tackling it here. Proscuitto is a dry cured Italian ham. You should be able to find it in large grocery chains or in an Italian deli.

Unknown said...

Your photographs are stunning. Oh, and that recipe is wonderful, I love pasta.
Karen

Fifi Flowers said...

That pasta is GORGEOUS!!!

Joanne said...

I've heard so many good things about straw and hay pasta but have never made it. Don't you just love it when restaurants inspire you? Beautiful dish.

NKP said...

Oh my, this might just be my favourite meal ever!
(And I actually didn't know the difference between straw and hay)
How cool that you have the two different pastas intertwined, and such flavours! Perfect with a nice bottle of wine.

Ruth Daniels said...

Great post and wonderful rendition of an old favorite of mine. Thanks for sharing with Presto Pasta Nights.

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