Celebrating World Pasta Month with Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta Festa
Before the month of October ends, let’s highlight the recent Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta Festa celebrating World Pasta Month.
In Italy and other Mediterranean countries, October is celebrated as the World Pasta Month! The only Artisan quality Italian pasta in the Philippines, Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta, has pioneered the World Pasta Month celebration for the Filipinos last October 9, 2015 at SM Mall of Asia, Main Atrium.
Their advocacy was to bring people together to appreciate pasta more and to recognize how this dish has been well-accepted in the daily lives of the Filipino consumers. Indeed, it was a remarkable experience for everyone, deliciously made with one of the world’s favorite foods, Pasta!
Great-tasting, quality pasta is what the Filipino people deserve. Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta is produced according to the tradition of true Italian pasta. There is actually an Italian law prescribing that pasta must be made using 100% durum wheat semolina, which is the hardest of all the wheat varieties and has the highest protein content.
It is the use of durum wheat that makes pasta “al dente” or “firm to the bite.” Aside from being made of durum wheat semolina, Doña Elena Al Dente Pasta is also made using the traditional bronze die, which gives the noodles ridges, thereby helping the sauce cling better to the noodles for a richer flavor. Plus, Doña Elena uses all natural GMO-free ingredients in its pasta.
Al Dente Pasta Festa
Al Dente Pasta Festa was a day filled with great food, fun activities and a lot of prizes. People enjoyed playing and watching pasta parlor games in the morning.
The event was enveloped with an all-day Italian Food Fair, led by the Dona Elena Al Dente Ristorante, which served Fettuccine alla Carbonara and Penne Tomato Basil. Completing the total pasta enthusiasts’ experience were generous samples of sparkling juice, pizza, gelato, coffee plus free massage and games from the other booth sponsors.
While, for the afternoon program, the event kicked off with a ribbon cutting ceremony led by Fly Ace Corporation executives Executive Vice President for Sales and Marketing Mr. Larry Cochanco, Executive Vice President for Support Services Ms. Ellen Cochanco, Vice President for Marketing Mr. Abraham Cipriano, Jr., Product Manager Ms. Karen Saguiped, Product Associate Ms. Rachelle Chang, joined by Italian Embassy’s Deputy Consul, Mr. Fabio Furlotti. He is also one of the distinguished judges of the competition.
Chef Roberto Bellini
Renowned Italian restaurateur Chef Roberto Bellini, together with his wife Maria Luisa Bellini and son Roberto Bellini, Jr., showcased their scrumptious Italian dishes using Dona Elena Al Dente. Their dishes, Penne All’amatriciana and Fettuccine al Cartoccio made the audience crave for more pasta cooking and eating. Along with the live demo of pasta cooking, Grace Lee, the event’s host, restaurateur, a lover of pasta and Italian cooking herself, prepared her favorite Italian dish called Pasta di Salsiccia.
The centerpiece of the program, the pasta cooking competition, was held to conclude the recently held online pasta recipe contest for home cooks and pasta enthusiasts. Mr. Fabio Furlotti formally opened the competition and gave his welcome remarks.
Ms. Riza Rae Pineda, won as the 1st Pasta Festa grand winner with her dish, Shrimp Puttanesca. Other finalists include Ms. Jenny Diano for 2nd place, with her dish, Doña Elena Pasta Roll Ups, Ms. Cherie Permalino for 3rd place with Anchovy Con Aligue Pasta Fettuccine, Ms. Ma. Elizabeth Daron for 4th place, Fettuccine & Mackerel in Malunggay Pesto with Pandesal-Cheese Toast, and Ms. Gaudette Bautista for 5th place with her Tuna Fusilli with Eggplant Peppers & Mushrooms. Check out the Facebook page www.facebook.com/donaelenacuisineraclub for the winning recipes.
Pasta Art
The celebration also recognized the beauty and intricacies of Pasta Art. The IllUSTrators Guild of the University of Santo Tomas showcased their talents through the Pasta Art competition, with their creative pasta art executions. The winners were Jan Renz Laboriante and Jonathan Gabriel with their piece called, “Colosseum.”
Other creations were “The Italian Bard (Starter Guide)” by Alec Arceo and Colleen Faith Lumague, “Mona Lisa” by Cherry Dumag and Hans Pierce Verano, and “Gondola” by Vanessa Panaga and Dannah Mae Delfin. There was also a mini pasta art workshop for some media participants, allowing them to get creative in making a photo frame using dry pasta pieces.
The Doña Elena Pasta Festa World Pasta Month Celebration is in cooperation with event partners SM Mall of Asia, May Sparkling Juice, Don Henrico’s, Caffe Bene, Gloria Jean’s Coffee, Tecnogas, Fujidenzo, Whirlpool, Cheers, Corelle, Masflex and Ginhawa Spa and Dining. Media partners who supported the event are Food Magazine, Working Mom Magazine, ABS-CBN Lifestyle Hub, When In Manila, the Asian Parent Philippines, Business Mirror, Malaya Business Insight, Business World, HerWord.com and Mommy Bloggers Philippines.
happy world pasta day too!