LoRusso's 2011 Pasta Bowl Winning Recipe

Each Monday after the Super Bowl, LoRusso's Cucina on Watson Road holds the annual Pasta Bowl competition where people come to sample three recipe entries and vote on the winning dish.  All of the proceeds go to Operation Food Search and the winning recipe is featured on the menu for the entire year, with $2 being donated each time the dish is ordered.

This past February, my recipe won the 2011 Pasta Bowl and is currently featured on the menu.  The dish is Bucatini (a long thick spaghetti-like noodle with a hollow center) with a light pesto sauce, sun dried tomatoes, shrimp, pancetta and pine nuts.

Bucatini Noodles

It was a really close competition (I only won by 5 votes) and it was a really fun event to come and try all of the pasta dishes.  Below is my winning recipe:

“Bucatini a la Pesto with Shrimp and Pancetta”
Serves 6 as an entrée

Ingredients:
1 lb. Bucatini Pasta
1 lb. 20 Count Deveined, Peeled, Uncooked Shrimp
½ 1b. Pancetta, sliced ¼ inch thick
6 ounces of finely diced Sun-dried Tomatoes
1 tsp (or more to taste) Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
2-3 Large Garlic Cloves (pressed or finely minced)
¼ cup Pine Nuts
½ cup of finely grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese
¼ cup plus more for garnish largely grated Parmesan Cheese
½ cup Pesto Sauce (chopped basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil, chopped pine nuts)
Salt and Pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

Directions:
1. Put a large pot of cold water over high heat, salt water liberally and cover pot with lid; Once water comes to a boil, put in Bucatini Pasta and cook for 9 minutes until Al Dente; drain pasta but save 1 cup of residue pasta water from the pot.
2. Dice Pancetta into about 1 inch slices; Place a separate large, high sided skillet over medium heat; Brown the pancetta until it is just about to turn brown (want it with a slight crisp, but not too crispy); Remove pancetta from the pan and place on paper towels; Discard the fat from pan and wipe down.
3. Season shrimp with salt and pepper; Put 1 tablespoon EVOO in high sided skillet and heat to medium heat. Sauté garlic and shrimp in skillet for about 4 minutes until shrimp turns pink.
4. In separate small pan, toast pine nuts over medium-low heat for a few minutes.
5. In a small bowl, mix pesto sauce with finely diced sun-dried tomatoes and with finely grated fresh parmesan cheese; add EVOO (or the olive oil from the jar of the sun-dried tomatoes if you used a jar) to the mixture until it gets a good texture
6. In a large bowl or pot, mix Bucatini Pasta, Residue Pasta Water, Pine Nuts, Crushed Red Pepper Flakes, Shrimp with Garlic, Pancetta, and Pesto/Sun-dried Tomato Sauce Mixture
7. Plate pasta. Garnish with large grated Fresh Parmesan Cheese.
8. MANGIA BENE!!!

Josie and Josie with the winning dish!

If you haven't been to LoRusso's, I definitely recommend it.  My family has been eating there for years and recently we threw Jessie and Joe's engagement party there in the banquet room they have for big parties.  LoRusso's also catered our college graduation party a few years ago where we had a big salad and pasta buffet for our guests.  The food is great and the atmosphere is definitely old school Italian (they even have a piano player Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights).  The chef, Rich LoRusso and his wife Terri run the place and are there everyday (except closed on Mondays).  I definitely recommend that you try my pasta bowl dish and absolutely do not forget to order the flash fried spinach for an appetizer!!!!!!

Josie with Chef Rich LoRusso and his wife Terri

Note: our cousin Mary Ann won the 2010 Pasta Bowl with her yummy eggplant pasta dish and Jessie won the 2009 Pasta Bowl with her penne with sausage and tomatoes.  We've definitely kept it in the family!  Keep an eye out for future posts providing you with their winning recipes!

Patane Pasta Bowl Winners: Mary Ann, Josie and Jessie