Life is a combination of magic and pasta…

…these famous words of Italian film maker Fellini have come to life in our little slice of paradise. From their home-based commercial kitchen on Courtenay’s Fifth Street, Prontissima Pasta owners Sarah and Wally Walsh have seen their year-old business flourish so much that they’re in production four days a week, working their magic with handmade pasta on a commercial level.

If your energy and culinary creativity happen to be waning at such a busy time of year, this is a super-easy way to entertain the masses by combining these tasty dishes with grilled veggies, sausage, chicken or shellfish.

Prontissima’s fresh pasta and a variety of pesto sauces can be brought home and served up as a fast gourmet meal for all to indulge in this holiday season (or any other time for that matter). And the name says it all – ‘pronto’ means ready while ‘issima’ means really, so in other words “really ready” – magic words for busy moms and dads who wish to roll out a healthy, nutritional meal in minutes.

The inspiration for the Walsh’s tasty venture came easily for this adventurous couple when they lived in Italy for two years, learning the language and sharing in the country’s passion for food.  Their Italian friends gave them their very own pasta maker and taught them how to make fresh pasta. That was all it took to convince them they would never eat dried pasta again.

When they returned to Canada, they determined there was a void of fresh pasta in the Valley and decided to fill it. As luck would have it (and a taste of magic) they were thinking of starting up a company when they heard through the gastronomical grapevine that some commercial pasta machines were up for sale, and from there the business was born.

This passionate pair is proud to be part of the eat-local movement that is gaining much momentum in the Valley and they’re ultra excited to test and develop new ideas. During a recent trip to Italy in the fall, they spent time in a  Venetian pasta shop learning techniques to make gnocchi and tortelloni (large tortellini) which they plan to add to their ever-growing product list.

One of the secrets of their pasta’s authenticity is that they use durum semolina, a traditional grain Italians have used to make pasta for years.  It’s ground directly from the kernel and isn’t bleached or overly processed.

Prontissima currently produces linguine, tagliatelle, fusili, penne, pasta sheets and large shells which are great for stuffing with filling and baking in the oven.  And with a variety of yummy, colourful flavours, your kiddos won’t even know they’re eating their veggies with pasta made of spinach, sun-dried tomato and basil, carrot and dill, pumpkin, spinach, and beetroot.

If you’re looking to wow your dinner guests, test their adventurous palates with curry, chipotle lime, chocolate, roasted jalapeno and orange, or citrus black pepper pasta.

And there’s good news if you’ve had to give up on pasta because of a wheat-sensitivity. Prontissima offers wheat-free alternatives –  organic kamut and spelt pasta, and coming soon, 100% brown rice pasta.

Spelt is a wonderfully nutritious grain with a nutlike flavour and a host of nutrients such as vitamin B2, niacin, thiamin and copper. It’s heart-healthy and is helpful for people who are diabetic or are prone to migraines. Kamut, a trademarked Egyptian variety of durum wheat, is high in proteins and fatty acids and is chock full of fibre, iron, magnesium, zinc, and vitamin E.

Having learned there’s fresh wheat-alternative pasta in town has got me so excited. I’ve been looking for different meal ideas to fit these wholesome grains into our dinner routine, and now I don’t have to forsake our weekly pasta night!

And if you’re like me, you’ll have trouble deciding what type of  pesto to try as they all sound delectable: traditional basil, sundried tomato, artichoke and roasted garlic, black olive, walnut, or their winter flavour, roasted butternut squash (in the summer it’s replaced with roasted sweet pepper). For those who are lactose intolerant, they make a dairy-free version with basil and extra pine nuts.

All of Prontissima’s pasta and pestos are made from seasonal, local ingredients, organic where possible. They work with local farmers to plan ahead on their production needs – local ingredients include  free-run eggs from Mountain View Farm in Black Creek, basil from Rock Bottom Farm, as well as Southend Farms on Quadra Island, butternut squash from Good Earth Farm and luscious sweet peppers from Seal Bay Farm and Fiesta Greenhouse in Campbell River.  Starting this year, Seal Bay Farm is growing some hot chili peppers for a spicy pasta.

If you’re anticipating guests over the holidays, Edible Island and Butcher’s Block in Courtenay, and Seeds Natural Food Market in Cumberland will be stocked this week for Christmas.

Prontissima Pasta will be open to take holiday orders the week of New Year’s –  special orders and pick-up can be arranged then and throughout the year, Tuesday through Saturday from 9 am – 6 pm by calling 250-338-3636 (be sure to leave a message if nobody picks up). Orders are also welcome by email at gourmet@prontissimapasta.com .

Prices for a small bag of pasta (serves two) is $3.75 or $7.50 for a large bag (serves four). A small container of pesto is $5 to serve with a small bag of pasta, or $9 for a large size pesto.

I’ve got my order in….buon apetito!

Look for Prontissima products on the menu at The Kingfisher and Locals. They will also be available at the Saturday Farmers’ Market, which starts up again January 10th at the Native Son’s Hall from 9 a.m. to Noon