A big, wet noodle: Pasta Party

Jackie Martin and her boyfriend Maximus Bolton enjoying what was a very, very good bowl of pasta.




Every week my people and I get together for a "Socialist Dinner Party." That is, everyone contributes some sort of ingredient to the pot. I'm usually the Stalin in this event, giving out assignments and seeing the cooking through to fruition.

This week's dinner party was a pasta party. I directed everyone to bring an indredient, which we promptly cooked into one big, big pot of pasta. So we give you:

Linguini Orgy

1 Pound of Linguini Pasta
1 Pound of Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts cut up into bit size chunks
1 Yellow, 1 Red, and 1 Orange Bell Pepper, all julienned.
1/2 Bottle of Tomato Sauce
1/4 Cup of Pesto (you can use premade, but I think premade pesto tastes like dirt with an oil slick on top)

The preparation is straightforward. Cook the pasta in a big 'ole thing of boiling water. In a big saute pan, brown the chicken in a bit of oil with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken, add more oil and saute the bell pepers. When they are soft, add the tomato sauce, pesto, and chicken. Toss in the pasta and serve to hungy people.


For the Pesto:

1 Cup of Fresh Basil, that you of course grew yourself
1/4 Cup Salted Almonds
1/4 Cup of Hard, aged cheese (Parmesean, Asiago... I used a Swedish hard cheese I picked up at Ikea, Vaterbotensost)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 Cup good mixed olives.

To make the pesto it's real easy: Put it all in a blender and press the on switch. If you have never made pesto, I really suggest you try it. I always thought I hated pesto until I made it myself. Now I mainly use it as a way to use extra basil, olives, whatever... and it makes a tasty spread to keep in the fridge.


Pictures from the event:


Handy tip about chicken breasts -- there is a nasty, tough ligament on the end of them. Make sure you cut it out, or risk your guests thinking you put a piece of plastic tubing in their chicken.










Notice the booby-lady salt and pepper shakers.













This is my friend Woody Junction. He brought the bell peppers.


















This is me, Fielding Crestwood. Notice the duct tape on my finger where I spilled hot oil on myself last week.


Unfortunately, the use of green pesto and red tomato sauce produced a brown (but very tasty) pasta dish.







King Longfellow. He is a big boy and ate lots of pasta. But like a little boy he refused to eat the bell peppers.