When was the last time you attended a progressive dinner party? Or any dinner party for that matter? For me, it has been a couple of years that I’ve attended a progressive dinner party and at least 7 weeks since I’ve attended a dinner party outside of our family of four every night at about 8:30 p.m.
My friends and I thought it would be a fun thing to create a “virtual” progressive dinner party of sorts since we can’t have actual dinner parties. Once I saw the menu I was even more intrigued and Cindy and her husband Steve added wine pairing for each course.
What is a progressive dinner party?
I was pretty sure I could define it, but just to be sure I didn’t have some false idea, I looked up the Wikipedia definition to find out that in the UK, the name for it is safari supper. I like that!
Wikipedia definition: Progressive Dinner Party: “A progressive dinner (US) or safari supper (UK) is a dinner party with successive courses prepared and eaten at the residences of different hosts. Usually, this involves the consumption of one course at each location. Involving travel, it is a variant on a potluck dinner and is sometimes known as a round-robin. An alternative is to have each course at a different dining area within a single large establishment. In a safari supper, the destination of the next course is generally unknown by the participants, and they have to decipher a clue before moving on. In the USA, participants go to each house for various courses. Often there is a regional theme for each dinner, such as Italian, German, or French. Various wines to suit the courses are often served at each location. A challenge is keeping the food warm and ready at each location. An alternative is to have the courses at different restaurants.” Wikipedia
The dish that inspired the idea
What started off this idea was that I wanted to share Alison Roman’s Caramelized Shallot Pasta. It’s beyond delicious and we have been making it on repeat over the last two weeks. We have found multiple and equally as delicious ways to use the “sauce” other than with pasta. I’ll be sharing those in an upcoming post.
A virtual progressive dinner party menu
Who are the attendees?
In order of appearance . . .
Gwen Moss
Sheri Silver
Rough Luxe
Stone Gable
Most Lovely Things
Classic Casual Home
Alison Roman’s Caramelized Shallot Pasta
When you make this pasta for the first time…I promise, you will wonder where has it been your whole life! It’s that delicious!
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 6 large shallots, sliced very thin
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 (2-ounce) can anchovy filets, drained, but not rinsed.
- 1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste or one (4.5-ounce) tube tomato paste
- 1 16-ounce package bucatini pasta (with reserved pasta water…don’t forget)!
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
- freshly grated parmesan
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a heavy dutch oven (I used my Le Cresuet) over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until the shallots have softened with golden brown edges. This takes about 20 minutes
- Add red-pepper flakes and anchovies drained and straight from the can. No need to chop them. They will dissolve when they’re cooked. Stir to combine the anchovies with the shallots, about 2 minutes.
- Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring constantly to prevent any scorching, until the tomato paste has started to cook in the oil a bit, caramelizing at the edges, and turning from bright red to a deeper rusty, brick color, about 2 minutes
- Remove the pot from the heat and transfer about half of the sauce into a jar, leaving the rest behind. (These are your leftovers that you can use for a future dish).
Fill another large pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions or until very al-dente. Save a cup of pasta water when draining. Transfer the cooked pasta to Dutch oven with the remaining shallot mixture and one cup of pasta water. Cook over medium-high heat, tossing the pasta with the shallot mixture to coat each piece of pasta, use a wooden spoon to scape up any bits at the bottom until the pasta is a thick sauce and is reduced and is sticky, but not saucy, 3 to 5 minutes. Divide pasta into bowls or one large serving bowl and top with a little parmesan cheese and the fresh parsley.
A simple nature-inspired table
I use simple flowers, herbs, and branches for all my dinner parties. But this year, we are forced to get creative and use what’s outside our door. For us here in Connecticut, we have tulips, but I’m more drawn to the branches. There are so many that are beautiful in the early stages of leafing out. I always use simple white candles in jars or votive candles in cups. You can see more tablescapes here and here.
Fresh Cut branches meander through Simple votive candles in low glasses from Ikea
Now make sure to stop by Mary Ann’s apartment with the most incredible views for dessert. Lemon tart with a shortbread crust! YUM!
Reader Interactions
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Gorgeous Annie – this looks SO good and SO simple! I actually wrote a post about saving the pasta water – which I ALWAYS forget to do. I put the measuring cup in the strainer so that it’s staring me in the face before I pour the pasta in! Thank you as always for including me! xoxo
Annie I love everything about this post. I’m such a foodie and I can’t wait to try this recipe. And I found it interesting how this dish gave you the idea for this virtual progressive dinner, I love hearing what inspires us. The table is perfect for it’s simple beauty. And I would love to be a guest sitting here. Actually I’d make sure I got a tour of your home while I was there too. I just love how unique and artistic your decorating style is. Thank you so much for including me in this fun idea, it’s so timely. A wonderful little distraction in the midst of so much seriousness in the world. I hope you and your loved ones are staying safe and healthy.
xo
Leslie
Oh boy I am making this on the weekend. I try to behave during the week but cheat on the weekend. We have a fabulous fresh pasta purveyor in Paso called Etto. I am popping in (I hope they are considered essential) for some fresh bucatini. Your table is absolutely heavenly as well. My branches are all bloomed out, but my roses are on their way. This was such a great idea. You are a genius!!
★★★★★
Annie fun idea doing a virtual one. I hope one day a real progressive dinner could happen. I just love the idea and a safari dinner is an even more fun name. Your table looks so natural and pretty with the un-ironed linen and the branches. I love it so much! xo
Your table is so simple and beautiful and I can’t wait to try the pasta recipe. Would you mind sharing where your tablecloth is from? Thank you!
OK, I’ll order these ingredients on my next instacart order. I”ve been wondering about this dish. I adore Allison Roman!!
Sandra! We do too! Everything she makes is amazing, but this one…my favorite! And the leftovers too!
Hi Annie! Fabulous dinner you have going on here! Your pasta dish sounds absolutely heavenly, and I’ll just leave off the anchovies and parm since I’m mostly vegan these days with my restrictions. The branches look so organic and lovely – thank you for inviting us to the dinner table–which has perhaps become more sacred than ever. Peace to you, friend.
Hi Michele! That is so true about the dinner table! My kids are both home and it’s like when they were in school and they were home for dinner every night! As far as leaving out the anchovies, my husband prefers it that way and you won’t miss the parm one bit…the sauce speaks for itself! Stay well and have a beautiful day!
You did not mention when and if you ended up putting in any of the pasta water, which I assume you would do, to help coat the pasta with the thick sauce. I saw you make this on Stephen Colbert, and we never saw how you completed the dish exactly.
Hi Lisa! Sorry! I’ll make that correction, but you are right…it’s just at the end as needed to coat the pasta so it’s not dry! Thank you for bringing that to my attention.
I added a titch of lemon zest t the side of my plate. It was so good I added it to the rest. Probably would be even better with Meyer Lemon?
★★★★★
Oh I’ll bet lemon zest was a wonderful addition. So fresh!
Why am I saving a cup of pasta water?