The Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge was a success featuring creations from restaurants around greater Vancouver. Each restaurant featured their Pasta creation from October 4-28, 2018. Our media judging panel determined the ultimate winners of the challenge, and this was quite the task as each judge who tasted each creation with a rigorous process based on taste, originality/uniqueness and presentation/appearance.
Our Media judges for this challenge were: Areta Wong, Tara Lee and David Grange
Each media judge will have scored the creation with a maximum of 40 points as follows: Overall Taste 20 points, Originality and Uniqueness 10 points, Presentation and Appearance 10 points). The total number of points a pasta creation could earn is 120 points.
The Winners are:
1st Place:
{104 points}
Novo Pizzeria & Wine Bar
Bucatini with Braised Guanciale and Orange
Price: $22
Created by: Chef Carmine Paradiso
Description: This pasta creation is an expansion on classic Roman dishes that have as their bases guanciale and Pecorino Romano (Carbonara, Amatriciana, All Gricia)
We start with those basic building blocks and build the orange flavour in three ways: zest, orange juice, and agrumato blood orange oil. Agrumato is a technique of simultaneously crushing ingredients (in this case blood oranges). with olives to produce exceptionally flavoured oils. We add crushed pink peppercorn and fennel pollen to finish off the dish.
Ingredients: Bucatini, Guanciale, orange zest, orange juice, agrumato blood orange oil, shallots, white wine, pink peppercorns, fennel Pollen, Pecorino Romano.
Offered: all the time
Novo Pizzeria & Wine Bar
2118 Burrard Street, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 736-2220
Web: http://www.novopizzeria.com/
Twitter @NOVOPizzeria
Instagram: @novopizzeria
Chef Carmine Paradiso
2nd Place:
{100 points}
Robba Da Matti
Pappardelle Rosche
Price: Lunch price $16; Dinner price $25
Created by: Chef Filly
Description: It’s one of Chef Filly’s family recipes. Her father, Nonno Nicola was a farmer in Puglia and this was his favourite meal. He would wake up before sunrise and make this hearty ragù sauce with cuts of beef short rib, fennel sausage and chicken and let it simmer slowly while he went to work in the fields.
‘Rosche’ is the Pugliese dialect for red. The thick pappardelle noodles are tinged red by the concentrated tomato sauce and the tender braised meat. It’s a perfect comfort food for these autumn evenings.
Ingredients: Homemade fresh pappardelle pasta, Italian San Marzano tomato pelati, extra virgin olive oil, beef short ribs, fennel sausage, free range chicken, and parmigiano reggiano.
Offered: all the time
Robba Da Matti
1127 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Phone:
Web: http://www.robbadamatti.com/
Twitter: @Robba_daMatti
Instagram: @robba_damatti
3rd Place (tie):
{99 points}
Ban Chok Dee
Ebony Spaghetti
Price: $17
Created by: Chef Parinya Loptson
Description: Jungle-style, stir-fried, homemade Charcoal Spaghetti with Leeks, Portobello Mushroom, Young Coconut Meat, Lesser Ginger, Peppercorn, Green Peas, Lime Leaves and Basil served with pan-seared Scallops and Curried Crab Sauce.
Ingredients: Charcoal spaghetti, Coconut meat, Scallops, Crab meat, Portobello, Chili oil paste, coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, red chilli paste, Peppercorn, leeks, Lesser ginger, green peas, Basil and lime leaves
Offered: all the time
Ban Chok Dee
20563 Douglas Crescent, Langley
Tel: 778-278-3088
Web: http://www.banchokdee.com
Twitter @BanChokDeeThai
Instagram @banchokdeethai
Chef Parinya Loptson
3rd Place (tie):
{99 points}
Sopra Sotto Pizzeria
Chitarrine e Tartufo
Price: $22
Created by: Chef Enrico Fratoni
Description: A tower of fresh “spaghetti alla chitarra” made in house, served in a delicious truffle sauce with a variety of mushrooms and topped with parmigiano.
Ingredients: Fresh Pasta, Truffle Sauce, Variety of mushrooms, and Parmigiano cheese
Offered: Every day during lunch and dinner
Sopra Sotto Pizzeria
1510 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
Phone: (604) 251-7586
Web: http://www.soprasottovancouver.com/
Instagram @soprasotto.vancouver
Chef Enrico Fratoni (middle) and his team
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Pasta creations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
Robba Da Matti
Pappardelle Rosche
Price: Lunch price $16; Dinner price $25
Created by: Chef Filly
Description: It’s one of Chef Filly’s family recipes. Her father, Nonno Nicola was a farmer in Puglia and this was his favourite meal. He would wake up before sunrise and make this hearty ragù sauce with cuts of beef short rib, fennel sausage and chicken and let it simmer slowly while he went to work in the fields.
‘Rosche’ is the Pugliese dialect for red. The thick pappardelle noodles are tinged red by the concentrated tomato sauce and the tender braised meat. It’s a perfect comfort food for these autumn evenings.
Ingredients: Homemade fresh pappardelle pasta, Italian San Marzano tomato pelati, extra virgin olive oil, beef short ribs, fennel sausage, free range chicken, and parmigiano reggiano.
Offered: all the time
Robba Da Matti
1127 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Phone:
Web: http://www.robbadamatti.com/
Twitter: @Robba_daMatti
Instagram: @robba_damatti
2nd Place People’s Choice:
Sopra Sotto Pizzeria
Chitarrine e Tartufo
Price: $22
Created by: Chef Enrico Fratoni
Description: A tower of fresh “spaghetti alla chitarra” made in house, served in a delicious truffle sauce with a variety of mushrooms and topped with parmigiano.
Ingredients: Fresh Pasta, Truffle Sauce, Variety of mushrooms, and Parmigiano cheese
Offered: Every day during lunch and dinner
Sopra Sotto Pizzeria
1510 Commercial Drive, Vancouver
Phone: (604) 251-7586
Web: http://www.soprasottovancouver.com/
Instagram @soprasotto.vancouver
3rd Place People’s Choice:
Ban Chok Dee
Ebony Spaghetti
Price: $17
Created by: Chef Parinya Loptson
Description: Jungle-style, stir-fried, homemade Charcoal Spaghetti with Leeks, Portobello Mushroom, Young Coconut Meat, Lesser Ginger, Peppercorn, Green Peas, Lime Leaves and Basil served with pan-seared Scallops and Curried Crab Sauce.
Ingredients: Charcoal spaghetti, Coconut meat, Scallops, Crab meat, Portobello, Chili oil paste, coconut milk, sugar, fish sauce, red chilli paste, Peppercorn, leeks, Lesser ginger, green peas, Basil and lime leaves
Offered: all the time
Ban Chok Dee
20563 Douglas Crescent, Langley
Tel: 778-278-3088
Web: http://www.banchokdee.com
Twitter @BanChokDeeThai
Instagram @banchokdeethai
Thank you to the chefs and restaurants that accepted my invitation and featured their pasta on the menu for the past few weeks during this challenge.
I encourage you to visit the winning restaurants to try their pasta creations! See the entries here.
By: Richard Wolak