The Vancouver Foodster Pasta Challenge was a success featuring creations from restaurants and a food truck around greater Vancouver. Each restaurant featured their Pasta creation from October 7-31, 2021. 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.
The Winners are:
1st Place:
{113 points}
Artusi Restaurant
Gnocchi Nduja & Burrata al Mare
Price: $24
Created by: Chef Delbert Cirfera
Description: Artusi’s delicate handmade Gnocchi is made fresh, and with love – flavoursome and luxurious, they are perfect for dishes full of rich ingredients. Nduja (spicy Italian salami) and Burrata are the most iconic foods of Southern Italy, shared by the provinces of Calabria and Puglia. The spiciness and saltiness of Nduja are perfect to marry with the fresh milk taste of Burrata. Giant white prawns and tender baby scallops add sweet and rich flavour and texture. Every bite is layered with decadent texures and beautiful flavours, with just enough spice to make you mouth water for more!
Available: Wednesday – Sunday for dinner for dine-in.
Also available all the time for takeout or Ubereats delivery
Artusi Restaurant
412 6th Street, New Westminster
Tel: (604) 553-9922
Website: http://www.artusirestaurant.com/
Twitter: @ArtusiNewWest
Instagram @artusirestaurant
2nd Place:
{101 points}
Robba da Matti
Tagliatelle ai funghi e salsiccia
Price: $26
Created by: The team
Description: A creamy mixed mushroom pasta with Italian fennel sausages
Available: Lunch and Dinner (Yaletown) and Dinner only (Westend), also available for takeout.
Robba Da Matti
1127 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Phone: (604) 558-1174
Web: http://www.robbadamatti.com/
Twitter: @Robba_daMatti
Instagram: @robba_damatti
And
Robba Da Matti
1906 Haro Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-423-3553
Twitter: @Robba_daMatti
Instagram: @robba_damatti
3rd Place:
{98 points}
In Vacanza Pastaficio Food Truck
Spaghetti con crema di broccolo romanesco e guanciale
Price: $22
Created by: Eryn MacKenzie
Description: Tender romanesco pan fried with crispy smoked and cured pork jowl, tossed with chilis in a pecorino, black pepper and cream sauce.
Available: Wednesday – Friday 5-pm – 9pm.; Saturday & Sunday 3pm-9 p.m.
Takeout and delivery details: Takeaway or dine in at one of our neighbouring distilleries. Available for delivery on Doordash.
In Vacanza Pastaficio Food Truck
1450 Rupert St, (back), North Vancouver
Telelphone: (236) 330-9696
Web: https://www.invacanza.ca/
Instagram @invacanzapasta
In the People’s Choice Awards category, the public who tried the Pastacreations were the ones who had the opportunity to cast their vote throughout the challenge.
The Winners are:
1st Place People’s Choice:
In Vacanza Pastaficio Food Truck
Spaghetti con crema di broccolo romanesco e guanciale
Price: $22
Created by: Eryn MacKenzie
Description: Tender romanesco pan fried with crispy smoked and cured pork jowl, tossed with chilis in a pecorino, black pepper and cream sauce.
Available: Wednesday – Friday 5-pm – 9pm.; Saturday & Sunday 3pm-9 p.m.
Takeout and delivery details: Takeaway or dine in at one of our neighbouring distilleries. Available for delivery on Doordash.
In Vacanza Pastaficio Food Truck
1450 Rupert St, (back), North Vancouver
Telelphone: (236) 330-9696
Web: https://www.invacanza.ca/
Instagram @invacanzapasta
2nd Place People’s Choice (tie):
Artusi Restaurant
Gnocchi Nduja & Burrata al Mare
Price: $24
Created by: Chef Delbert Cirfera
Description: Artusi’s delicate handmade Gnocchi is made fresh, and with love – flavoursome and luxurious, they are perfect for dishes full of rich ingredients. Nduja (spicy Italian salami) and Burrata are the most iconic foods of Southern Italy, shared by the provinces of Calabria and Puglia. The spiciness and saltiness of Nduja are perfect to marry with the fresh milk taste of Burrata. Giant white prawns and tender baby scallops add sweet and rich flavour and texture. Every bite is layered with decadent texures and beautiful flavours, with just enough spice to make you mouth water for more!
Available: Wednesday – Sunday for dinner for dine-in.
Also available all the time for takeout or Ubereats delivery
Artusi Restaurant
412 6th Street, New Westminster
Tel: (604) 553-9922
Website: http://www.artusirestaurant.com/
Twitter: @ArtusiNewWest
Instagram @artusirestaurant
2nd Place People’s Choice (tie):
Robba da Matti
Tagliatelle ai funghi e salsiccia
Price: $26
Created by: The team
Description: A creamy mixed mushroom pasta with Italian fennel sausages
Available: Lunch and Dinner (Yaletown) and Dinner only (Westend), also available for takeout.
Robba Da Matti
1127 Mainland Street, Vancouver
Phone: (604) 558-1174
Web: http://www.robbadamatti.com/
Twitter: @Robba_daMatti
Instagram: @robba_damatti
And
Robba Da Matti
1906 Haro Street, Vancouver
Phone: 604-423-3553
Twitter: @Robba_daMatti
Instagram: @robba_damatti
Our Media judges for this challenge were: AJ Yao, Rose Lin and Shelley Hayashi
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.
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