Celebrate National Pasta Month and World Pasta Day this October!

Sept. 4, 2011 - PRLog -- Press Contact:                   Marci Bracco (831) 747-7455

Celebrate National Pasta Month and World Pasta Day this October!
Radicchio & Pasta – The Perfect Pairing

MONTEREY, CA  (September 3, 20111)  Royal Rose Radicchio of Salinas , Calif. is celebrating National Pasta Month this October and World Pasta Day on October 26th with special recipes for you to celebrate the perfect pairing of pasta and radicchio.

According to the National Pasta Association, there are 10 ways to celebrate National Pasta Month all October long!

1.       Learn to cook perfect pasta.
2.       Take a fellow pasta lover to lunch at your favorite pasta restaurant.
3.       Plan a Columbus Day pasta party. Serve appetizers, entrees, salads, and desserts - all made with pasta for your guests to "discover." You can even use pasta shapes to create decorations for the party.
4.       Plan to celebrate United Nations Day (October 24) by serving your family and friends an international pasta menu or a combination platter with samples of ethnic pasta favorites.
5.       Fight the October chills with a big bowl of pasta soup.
6.       Prepare a pasta salad for your next tailgate party. Pasta provides the energy you'll need to root your team on to victory.
7.       Return to comfort foods such as macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and meatballs and lasagna.
8.       Master the art of substitution. Try a new shape in some of your favorite pasta dishes. For instance, use radiatore or spirals for a new twist on macaroni and cheese, or try bow ties in your favorite pasta salad for an elegant new appearance.
9.       Become a pasta prodigy by vowing to add at least one new pasta shape a month to your pasta repertoire.
10.   Play around with pasta - WITHOUT a recipe. Improvise by grabbing some spices and anything else you have in your refrigerator or pantry and let your imagination run wild!
According to Royal Rose Radicchio, the best way to celebrate is to use radicchio in your pasta creations.

Pasta with Radicchio and Bacon
Serves 4
Ingredients
8 to 10 strips lean bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large head Royal Rose radicchio (soaked in cold water for 15 minutes and coarsely chopped)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
12 ounces dried pasta, such as penne or fusilli
1/2 cup Italian parsley leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Methods/steps
In a large skillet on medium heat, cook the bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels, reserving 1 tablespoon of drippings in the skillet. Add the olive oil. On medium heat, saute the chopped radicchio in the olive oil together with the garlic until thoroughly cooked. Meanwhile, boil 5 quarts of salted water and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and toss the pasta in the pan with the radicchio, adding the bacon, Italian parsley, salt and pepper.

For more information:
Royal Rose, LLC
1120 Growers Street
Salinas, CA 93901
831-758-1957 telephone
831-758-6649 facsimile
www.radicchio.com

Background on Royal Rose The Company:
The “Salad Bowl of the World” gained some much-needed color, flavor and crunch in 1993 with the formation of Royal Rose Radicchio of Salinas , Calif. It proved to be the perfect combination “ Old World vegetable meets New World agriculture power” and the results have been delicious.

Royal Rose took to growing and shipping four varieties of radicchio, a member of the chicory family that is revered in Italy and throughout Europe as a fresh, zesty addition to salads, pastas, pizzas and more. The vibrant color, pleasing bitterness and unmistakable crunch come together to form a unique addition to any meal.

It all started when Italian farmers Lucio Gomiero and Carlo Boscolo teamed up with growers in the Salinas Valley in the late 1980s.  Gomiero, a winemaker by trade, had the idea of bringing Boscolo’s proprietary seed varieties and 50 years of radicchio growing in Italy to the United States . Gomiero believed there was a new market for this unique and versatile vegetable.