Country Pasta

Nothing is quite as satisfying on a cold wet fall day as a big steaming bowl of noodles. My choice to satiate my most recent craving was a simple combination of melted butter, good Parmesan, a squeeze of lemon and the fabulous egg noodles from Polson’s Country Pasta.  Not only is it quite tasty but this is locally made pasta you can really feel good about.

                                             

Dean and Linda Knutson started their pasta making operation in 1990 on their land in Polson.  100% durum semolina from Montana and other nearby states, fresh eggs, mountain water and sea salt are all that goes into their product.  The size of the operation, 2.5 million pounds of pasta each year, may not allow for only Montana-made ingredients but they try to use local vegetables and meats when possible.  And I really appreciate the fact that they employ 25 local people. 

My local foodie heart beat a little faster when I learned of Country Pasta’s exciting new venture, an organic line of pasta which will use organic locally sourced semolina from Great Falls.   When asked why they work so hard, Heather Knutson answered, “Providing jobs and offering people high quality food products to enjoy.  Eating is more than just sustaining our bodies, it is about relationships, entertainment, and happiness…and we love sharing the good food we produce right here in Montana”. 

Pick up a bag of Country Pasta’s locally made regular egg noodles or wide egg noodles in Missoula at the Good Food Store and Orange Street Food Farm, the Bozeman Co-op or the Real Food Store in Helena.  And check out their website, www.countrypasta.com for recipes, online orders and instructions on how to get your local grocery store to carry their pasta. 

The Good Food Store

No matter how much you want to eat local, you still have to have a way to buy local foods.  I would love to drive from farm to farm gathering up all the yummy goodness each place has to offer but that’s just not feasible.  That’s why it’s important that we have stores that strive to sell food that is locally raised.  I’m sure it’s not easy to keep your shelves perpetually stocked, make a profit and sell local when at all possible. So I’ve decided to start profiling some of those stores that I’d like to say a big “Thank You!” to for helping us, the eaters, support local farmers.  I’d always love to hear from anyone that has a store they’d like to add to the list.

The Good Food Store –  Missoula

 If you’ve read even a few posts of my blog, you’ve heard me reference the GFS many times.  You can find me strolling its aisles several times a week. Some people go window shopping in the mall, I go shelf shopping in the GFS.  Here the local foodie can find melons from Dixon, tomatoes from Kalispell, flour from Three Forks, beef from Missoula, tamales from Manhattan, pasta from Polson, wine from Columbia Falls and hummus from Bozeman.  Local foods are well marked and the employees are knowledge, friendly and always willing to answer any local food related questions you may have (see Nowledge is Power post).  Their local food fair held every year in the fall is a “can’t miss” event highlighting local farmers and food.

      1600 S 3^rd St. W

       541-3663

        www.goodfoodstore.com