Arriverderci Italian Fest and Cavatini

It is with a heavy heart that I bid farewell to this past weekend and the greatness that is Memphis' Italian Festival. It is also with a heavy belly that I look back on the past 4 days and say to myself, "You, dear lady, are getting back on the exercise band wagon"! And indeed I did. I walked three miles this evening and will continue to do so until my liver forgives me and my insides have deflated. But I wouldn't change a second of this year's festivities; as always, it is one of the best weekends of my summer. Good friends, good food, good times.

Oh and how we ate and drank all weekend. When I tell you that we went through 1,000 jello shots, that is no exaggeration. We counted; and we had two team members who were gracious enough to spend sleepless nights making them. Not to mention our dedicated cooks; our team had awesome gravy this year to enter into the contest, and we even placed 7th in the "Anything Italian" competition with lamb spindini. One of the girls on our team also made the best tiramisu cupcakes. No joke. They were a-maz-ing. I'm gonna have to get my hands on all the great recipes. Way to go Holy Cannoli!

Saturday night was my favorite. It's the last night before we tear down the tents on Sunday morning. To feed the troops, I contributed 3 lbs of pasta with this recipe for cavatini. This recipe comes from Stewart's aunt, and it's a favorite in this household. By the end of Saturday night, the tray of cavatini was scraped empty...along with every scrap of food we had to offer.

The closing ceremony for 2010's Italian Festival is brought to you by Connie Francis and Dean Martin with their rendition of "Arriverderci Roma". So long Italian Fest; until we meet again next year. I'll be waiting with fond memories...










Arriverderci festival italiano!
Julia

Cavatini:
1 (48 oz) Prego traditional pasta sauce
1 lb penne pasta
2 lbs shredded mozzarella cheese (I use Kraft)
1 large package of Hormel regular pepperoni

Directions:
Cook pasta. In a serving dish (11"x8") layer above ingredients in the following order: sauce, pasta, cheese, pepperoni. You should have two full layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Let cool and serve.