Category Archives: pasta

Aunt Pammy’s Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

Posted on November 13, 2014 | 4 comments

 

Fully Baked Chipotle Sweet Potatoes

This recipe belongs to my sister, Pamela. She is a great cook, and this is her signature Thanksgiving Dish. We count on it every year as her contribution.  I highly suggest it if you like spicy because it is! It definitely packs some heat, be careful when you buy the chipotle peppers in adobe sauce , just make sure they don’t say Hot or you might be blowing the roof off of your Thanksgiving Dinner! Be prepared for a lot of flavor !  If your family likes spicy this is an awesome recipe, and you all know how much I like spicy by now.  This is certainly a new take on Sweet Potatoes because they aren’t sweet.  I also make a Sweet Potato dish with Marshmallows (* see recipe) and the two are always on my table, one sweet and one spicy.  Thanks Aunt Pammy.

Ingredients:

5 lbs.Yams or Sweet Potatoes

Kosher Salt ( about 1/4 to 1/2 cup)

Heavy Cream ( about 1 1/2 quarts)

Chipotle Peppers in Adobe Sauce (canned) *look in Mexican Food Aisle in most supermarkets

Directions:

Slice Potatoes thinly and add salt. Place in baking dish you are going to use and cover with kosher salt, start with 1/4 cup and go to the 1/2 cup. Use your clean hands and toss together.

Puree Chipotles in small food processor .* you can keep pureed chipotles in fridge for up to 2 months. So you can do this step ahead.

Put approximately 1 – 2 tsp. of chipotle pepper puree in heavy cream and mix together

Pour Cream Mixture over Potatoes in an ovenproof baking dish ( earthenware is nice for this)

Place in 375 degree preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour depending on your oven.

Potatoes should be somewhat set and browned on top when ready.

Enjoy! and Happy Thanksgiving

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Posted in Holiday, Holiday Recipes, Holiday/ Thanksgiving Recipes, pasta, Uncategorized, vegetables, vegetarian

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Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Balls

Posted on October 11, 2014 | 4 comments

Italian Wedding Soup with Chicken Balls

this is one of my absolute favorite recipes. It is a soup , which is also a full meal. It is hearty and pretty healthy.  It is one of my staples from September through April. It freezes well and you can just take it out of the freezer the night before, and you’ll have a wonderful meal the next evening. When you defrost it you will probably want to add broth/water to it. add a little at a time till you get the consisitency you like. Enjoy:)

Ingredients: chicken balls

1 lb. ground chicken

1/2 lb chicken sausage, casings removed

3 slices whole wheat bread for bread crumbs ( I put into food proccesor with steel blade for crumbs) i remove crusts . should be app. 1 cup of bread crumbs

2 teaspoons minced garlic ( 2 – 3 cloves)

1/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano ( fresh is best) but whatever you have will do

1/4 cup grated Parmesan ( again nothing beats fresh) but whatever you have will do here as well

3 tablespoons milk

1 extra large egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Soup Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small -medium yellow onion minced

1 cup diced carrots ( 3 )

1 cup diced celery (2 stalks)

10 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup dry white wine( use whatever you have open)

1 cup small pasta tubetini, ditalini, stars, etc.

5 ounces fresh spinach, washed and trimmed

*fresh dill ( I love the flavor) add at your own discretion about 1/4 cup minced fresh dill.

Directions:

preheat the oven to 350 degrees  put parchment paper on a cookie sheet.

for the meatballs, place the ground chicken, sausage,bread crumbs, garlic, Pecorino, Parmesan, milk, egg, salt and pepper  all in a bowl and mix well with a fork.  I use a teaspoon, and make 1 to 1 1/2 inch balls and drop onto parchment paper lined cookie sheet. you should have about 30 to 40 small balls. bake for 25 – 30 minutes, until cooked through and lightly browned. set them aside. (I made about 30 balls, they were a little larger this time out)

For the Soup:

 heat the olive oil over medium – low heat in a large heavy bottomed soup pot ( Le Creuset type pot) Add the onion, carrots, and celery and saute until softened, about 10 minutes, don’t brown. Add the chicken stock and wine and bring to a boil, at this point I let soup cook a while to soften the vegetables, app. 1 hour. ( a low simmer) if you’re in a hurry you can probably do the whole soup in 1/2 hour , veggies will be soft enough to eat. if some of the liquid evaporates you can always add a little more broth.

chicken balls out of the ovenItalian Wedding Soup cooking

 Add the pasta to the simmering broth and cook another 6 – 8 minutes, until the pasta is tender. Add the meatballs and simmer for another minute or so. taste for salt and pepper. Stir in the fresh spinach and cook for another minute or so, the spinach will just wilt. Ladle into soup bowls and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

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Tomato Time Pasta

Posted on August 25, 2014 | Leave a comment

photo 2 (3)photo 4 (2)photo 5 (3)Nothing but beautiful tomatoes out there begging to be eaten in a million different ways. Perfect for a “Meatless Monday” dish or any night of the week . There are tons of local tomatoes out there now. At any local farmers market you can pick up pints of these beautiful babies. This is a lovely light pasta.

I had bought 2 pints of those beautiful little cherry tomatoes and right now there are those gorgeous yellow sunburst tomatoes also available.  I wasn’t sure what I would do with them. They varied in size so I knew if I made a sauce some were getting cut and some would stay whole. Nothing ever sounds better than a plate of pasta to me,  nothing.   These beautiful tomatoes are only out for such a limited time you have to get them while the getting is good.  Some of the tomatoes were super small and I left them whole while I halved the larger ones. There are so many variations of this sauce and feel free to improvise. We love it this way. So simple and so delicious.

Follow me on Instagram @cookingwithcandi

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti , I like long spaghetti for this but whatever kind you like is good– I used a whole box but you can use however much you’d like

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced. If you’d prefer you can slice thinly

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper* we like it spicy so if you don’t want it that spicy cut to 1/4, I actually used 1 whole teaspoon and it packed a lot of kick.

2 pints of cherry tomatoes or you can use about 3 cups of chopped fresh tomatoes of any type. I cut the larger tomatoes in 1/2 and I left the little ones whole.

app. 20 leaves of fresh basil, I just cut them up into small slivers

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper to taste –I used app. 1 teaspoon on tomatoes and added towards the end

freshly grated parmesan at your discretion

Directions:

Cook pasta according to directions on box for al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water in the event you may need a little more liquid in your sauce. Add 2 tablespoons of salt to cooking water for pasta. The Italians like to say that their pasta water should be like sea water good and salty.

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat add 4 tablespoons of olive oil and garlic, cook until garlic is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Be careful don’t want to burn this garlic. Add the crushed red pepper now and the tomatoes, and cook over medium heat. I also added some kosher salt (about 1/2 teaspoon to start, you can always add more) and a little freshly ground black pepper. Stir for a while to make sure garlic doesn’t burn and tomatoes start to burst and deflate about 5  minutes. I let the tomatoes simmer in the pan for about 15 minutes. Taste for Salt and Pepper. The longer the tomatoes sit in the oil and cook down on a low simmer the better the sauce will be so if you have a little time let it sit.

Once the spaghetti is cooked and you’ve drained it ( remember to reserve a cup of pasta water).  Add it to the pan with tomatoes and over medium-high heat toss the pasta with the tomatoes well. Add the basil and if you’d like add cheese. I let everyone add their own cheese at the table.

Remove the pan from the heat and plate it up.

Yum! and even more delicious the next day.

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Fresh Basil Pesto

Posted on August 22, 2014 | Leave a comment
photo 2 (6)

Chicken and Pesto on the Grill

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Pasta Pesto

The original recipe for this delicious pesto appeared back in May 2011 on Cooking with Candi.  Yummy Pesto was the title. This is the same recipe from my BFF Suki. I have tried many pesto sauces and this remains my absolute go to favorite. It is super easy and while the basil is abundant you should make it and freeze it. When you freeze the pesto in a container, pour a thin layer of olive oil over the top . I have it frozen for up to 3 months. I use it on chicken, pasta, and it’s wonderful as a spread. This recipe is good for 2 lbs. of pasta usually. So I use 1/2 and freeze the rest if it’s just the 2 of us.

Pesto Chicken on the Grill with Grilled Peppers and Roasted Sweet Potatoes

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Fresh Basil

If you are going to use on chicken , just brush on the chicken sprinkle a tiny bit of  kosher salt on it and  let it marinate for a few hours at least and it can be marinated  overnight in the refrigerator. Take it out of fridge and let it sit at room temp. before putting on the grill. That’s it!

*You’ll need a food processor

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh basil (washed)

1/2 cup romano cheese (grated)

1/2 cup parmesan cheese ( grated)

1/2 cup pignolli nuts or walnuts

1 cup extra virgin olive oil–use a good one

1 – 3 tablespoons of unsalted butter (it’s good if the butter is softened before adding) you can soften in microwave

4 cloves garlic – peeled and whole

freshly ground black pepper–to taste

*kosher salt to taste if you feel you need it after finished making pesto

Directions:

I put all ingredients except for olive oil in the food processor. Give it a few grinds using the blade attachment. Then I slowly add in the olive oil through the top of processor while it’s on. Beautiful green pesto! so easy. Taste for salt and pepper

Cook pasta and drain and add pesto. Done!

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Chicken and Rigatoni in One Pot–One Pot Pasta

Posted on August 6, 2014 | 3 comments

photo 2 photo 3 photo 4 (2) photo 5 (2) photo photo 2 (2) photo 1I must say that the first time I saw this recipe for one-pot pasta I was hesitant. I read up on it and found out that the actual recipe for this one-pot pasta hailed from Puglia.  I did do my homework here and found out that yes they do this in Italy and original recipe was from there.  I have made 2 versions of this type of pasta and all I can say is yum. I will also add that you need to be a little bit more attentive during the cooking but the result was fabulous. We loved the creaminess and the pasta came out perfectly al dente.  You just don’t want to overcook it, taste for doneness and sit down and eat. It was delicious the next day cold out of fridge as well. Give this one a try you won’t be sorry. Joel was very happy with the clean-up detail as well because it was one pot! Whole thing took under an hour from start to finish. One pan, people!!! dry noodles, sauce ingredients, water, wine a few good things and you’ve got a delicious impressive dinner.

*I used my large Le Creuset pot. A large skillet would work fine here as well.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

5 cloves of garlic, chopped

app. 1 – 1 1/2 lbs. of chicken breast, cut into small chunks. Just buy a regular package of chicken breasts and cut them up as I did ( see photos)

2 large roasted red peppers, sliced into thin slices ( straight out of the jar) see photos

6 cherry peppers, chopped and de-seeded , you can use hot if you like it spicy or just mild cherry peppers which is what I used (straight out of the jar) see photos

1 cup water, you will probably add about 1/2 cup more but you should start out with a cup

1 lb. rigatoni, I like the way the rigatoni works of course penne or another type of macaroni will work just fine

1 cup white wine, use what you have open as long as it’s not a sweet wine

1 28 oz. can of crushed tomatoes

1 cup Parmesan Cheese grated, more for serving

1/2 stick unsalted butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons fresh basil torn, you’ll want to add a little more at the end of cooking as well.

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or sea salt

Crushed red pepper flakes, optional. If you like the heat add a little bit during cooking and you can always add more at end. 1/4 teaspoon to start is good.

Directions:

In a large skillet type of pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add in the garlic and chicken . Saute the chicken until it is just browned on the outside but not cooked through.

Stir in the roasted red peppers and cherry peppers, and sauté for another minute or so. Add in the crushed tomatoes and wine. Add in the water and the raw pasta and bring to a low boil. If you need more water you’ll know at this point , add a bit more water (a little at a time) Continue to cook, stirring very often, until the pasta has cooked to al dente , it will take anywhere from 15- 20 minutes. Taste pasta and judge how much longer it needs.

When pasta is done to your liking, reduce heat to low and add in the butter, basil and salt. When the butter is completely melted into the past, add in the cream and the cheese. Let simmer on low for another ten minutes or so, stirring occasionally. Top with additional cheese, basil and red pepper flakes if you like.

Serve warm.

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Fresh Tomato Pasta with Ricotta

Posted on July 16, 2014 | 1 comment

photo 5 (2) photo 5 (3) photo 3 (2) photo 5 (4)photo 2 (2)What could be bad here? Fresh delicious ingredients and pasta with fresh  I always make my fresh tomato sauce with little cherry tomatoes in the summer ( summer pasta favorite in this house). This time out I added in Ricotta Cheese, all you cheese lovers out there will love this. If you don’t love cheese just make without but don’t leave out the fresh basil because the flavor is what it’s all about. This is super easy and you’ll look like a star. By the way this was the night of the super moon and check out that awesome sunset over the mountains. Rocky Mountain High.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, chopped

app. 1 and 1/2 packages of small cherry tomatoes or 1 lb. or so

1 small package of fresh basil will work but a little more is good too.

3 Tbsp. Olive Oil divided into 2 Tbsp. and 1 Tbsp.

2 Tbsp. Water

Fresh Ground Black Pepper app. 1/4 tsp. and then more to taste

1 tsp. kosher salt and then to taste

1 box any kind of spaghetti you like, I used bucatini it’s a personal favorite

1 cup whole milk or part-skim ricotta cheese, I used a little more but it’s fine to only use 1 cup.

Directions:

Prepare pasta according to directions on the box for al dente. You’ll want pasta with a little bite to it, never mushy and over cooked.

Chop 2 cloves of garlic. Clean Basil leaves and take out 3/4 of Basil and wash it , dry it and tear it into small pieces. Wash the tomatoes.

Place a large skillet or any large pot on the stove on a medium heat. Put 2 Tbsp. of Olive Oil in pot and heat for a few minutes till oil starts to shimmer. Add the chopped garlic to pot, the add the basil. Cook down stirring with a wooden spoon for about a minute, don’t burn garlic. Stir in the tomatoes leaving them whole, and add 2 Tbsp. of water ( tap water is good here). Add tsp. of kosher salt and about 1/4 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook for about 10 minutes. Uncover and continue cooking while cooking pasta. You will want tomatoes to break down and release their juices for the sauce.

Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it in a colander, no need to rinse cooked pasta. Then add it to the pot with the tomatoes. I added ricotta cheese right before we were going to eat and mixed well with the rest of the basil leaves and taste for more salt and pepper.

Delicious! and Easy!

 

 

 

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Kale and Pasta Perfection

Posted on March 12, 2014 | 3 comments

photo 4 (40) photo 2 (43) photo 3photo 5 (34) photo 1 (56) photo 1 (55) photo 3 (44)Our daughter Kerri is out visiting in Colorado and it’s a great opportunity not only to ski with her and enjoy our time together but to cook vegetarian style for her. I have been saving this one for her because we all know what a waste this would be for just Joel. I made Joel a separate Bowties Pasta with Turkey Sausage, Peas and Mushrooms which if you have never made you really must check out, it’s on my blog under that title originally posted on July ’11. (see in photo)   I used a Fusilli type short pasta which was perfect. This dish really was so super easy to put together and it will now become one of my go-to pasta dishes for sure. I was also able to buy the Kale from Whole Foods chopped and cleaned already, which only made the prep that much easier . I would say total prep even if you have to chop and clean kale would only be 20 minutes . Super healthy and the kale turned a beautiful shade of deep green and the flavor is amazing. I of course added a little crushed red pepper , just 1/4 teaspoon which is enough for a bit of heat but not too much at all. You can moderate this to your own taste.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Kale , I bought a bag of cleaned , chopped Kale and it was perfect. I used one bag of chopped and cleaned Kale.

4 cloves garlic, chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons to cook kale and 1 tablespoon at the end

1/2 cup water

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 box  (1 lb.) short pasta like fusilli , I used DeCecco brand Fusilli Corti Bucatini which worked out beautifully. Any short macaroni will do.

3/4 cup grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

Cook pasta according to box directions for al dente.  Make sure you reserve 1 cup of pasta water before you drain pasta. Start to boil water as you prepare the kale.

Prepare the Kale if you can’t find the chopped and cleaned version. Pull the kale leaves from the stems, discard the hard stems and tear the leaves into small pieces. Wash Kale. A salad spinner is perfect for this task.

Chop the garlic.

Add the 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large skillet type pot, large enough to hold and cook all of kale. Heat oil till it shimmers for a few minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1/2 minute. Add the kale and toss with tongs if you have them coating the kale with the oil and garlic as you go. Then add the 1/2 cup of water, cover and cook , stirring a few times and cooking the kale until it is tender 7-10 minutes. Stir in the salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Remove from the heat.

Your pasta should be ready by now and you should have your reserved cup of pasta water handy. Drain the pasta.

Add the pasta to the kale in the pan you were using and turn the heat on to a medium heat. Add about 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Bring to a low simmer, add the parmesan cheese and stir, using a wooden spoon to mix till cheese melts and coats the pasta. If you need a little more liquid you can use the little bit of pasta water left. Keep stirring until it’s nice and creamy. Stir in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Taste for Salt and Pepper. Mine was perfect . Serve with a fresh hunk of Parmesan Cheese for grating in a little extra and a little more crushed red pepper.

Perfection.

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Veal and Eggplant Pasta

Posted on January 19, 2014 | 1 comment

IMG_3067IMG_3070 (3)photo 3 (20)I simply love pasta and am convinced that no matter how it is prepared I will like it. Almost no way is a bad way. This particular pasta dish was just delicious and hearty and I’m passing it on to you. I sort of winged my way through it but wrote down key ingredients and key measurements. I know some people have moral objections to eating veal so maybe you can substitute with ground turkey. It will have a totally different flavor but am sure it will taste just fine.  I happen to love the taste of ground veal in this pasta and although Joel picked out every last piece of eggplant he still loved it!

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, a nice firm eggplant with smooth skin, evenly firm, and no real soft spots.

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

2 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter

2 lbs. ground veal

10 – 12 leaves fresh sage, thinly sliced

pinch of ground nutmeg or if you have fresh nutmeg a few grates is perfect (this adds a nice punch of flavor)

1 small onion , finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup half and half

1 lb. pasta noodle like ziti, penne, any sturdy cut pasta noodle

Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Directions:

Peel part of the skin off the eggplant in strips with vegetable peeler, you do this the long way, cutting off and discarding the very top of eggplant ( the stem side) Leave about 1/2 the peel on and 1/2 off. Slice and dice the eggplant and then sprinkle with kosher salt and let drain on a few paper towels while you continue prepping. I like the flavor of some peel and it keeps eggplant from becoming too mushy.

In a Dutch oven or large deep skillet, heat the olive oil, melt in the butter and over medium heat add the veal and cook , breaking up with a wooden spoon. Veal should be lightly browned , should take about 5 minutes or so. Season with Salt and Pepper, add the sage and nutmeg. Increase the heat to medium-high: stir in the onion, garlic and eggplant. Partially cover the pan and cook, stirring often until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes or so.

Add the tomato paste, stir for a couple of minutes. Add the wine, scraping the bottom of the pan. Add the stock and half and half. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the sauce while the pasta cooks.

I let sauce simmer for a while, you can keep a little pasta water ( a cup or so) if you need to thin out sauce.

Bring a pot of water to a boil, add salt to boiling water for pasta. Cook pasta according to the box directions for al dente. Drain, and reserve a cup or so of pasta water. You may need to stir some in to sauce if sauce seems to thick. Toss pasta with sauce, season to taste, and top with grated Parmigiano-Reggiano.

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Pasta with Turkey Ragu–Sunday Night Sauce

Posted on December 6, 2013 | 3 comments

IMG_2425DSCN4442DSCN4444I love cooking dinner Sunday nights and find that it is the best way to unwind from a hectic week and weekend and gear up for the week coming up. Catch up on Homeland, etc. I have an actual recipe that I used to follow for this but at this point I just sort of winged it and wrote down everything I did timing it all out. You all know by now how very much we like our sauce spicy, you can easily omit the chili flakes. This would also be delicious made with pork, but I made it with turkey. It might be a good idea to use 1/2 pork and 1/2 turkey. You can also use turkey sausage, I had ground turkey in the house so that’s what I used. Pork will throw off a lot more fat and will have to be skimmed off.  If made with pork it is best to make a day ahead. In any event I used ingredients I had in pantry which always makes me happy and meat that I had already purchased. I even had those beautiful Italian cherry tomatoes in the can that I had bought and knew I would use for something. It’s a good feeling when you use items from your pantry. Enjoy! we did. I actually made this a few weeks prior to Thanksgiving and just got around to posting it. This sauce freezes up beautifully so eat 1/2 and freeze 1/2 for another time.

Enjoy!

Pantry Items:

unsalted butter, extra-virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, onion, carrots, garlic, celery , tomato paste, red wine, canned cherry tomatoes/canned diced tomatoes , kosher salt, pepper, pasta and I had pancetta in the freezer

Shopping List:

meat, ricotta salata/fresh ricotta , Parmesano-Reggiano cheese for grating or just buy fresh grated Parmesan Cheese available almost everywhere .

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 lbs. ground turkey, chicken , or pork. Or pork sausage (tastiest and most fattening) or turkey sausage. You can also do any combo you’d like, 1/2 sausage and 1/2 meat would be good.

4 oz. package of diced up pancetta

*1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes ( only if you like a little kick)

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 medium onion, chopped

2/3 cup finely diced carrots

2/3 cup finely diced celery

3 1/2 Tablespoons tomato paste

2/3 cup dry red wine (use what you have in house)

1 14 oz. can Italian cherry tomatoes ( sold at Grace’s Marketplace in Greenvale) or canned diced tomatoes . Drain and smash cherry tomatoes. If you can’t find the cherry tomatoes buy canned diced tomatoes and just remember to drain.

2 cups water

2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano and Fresh Ricotta for finishing. I used Ricotta Salata crumbled up on top plus Parmigiano-Reggiano.

1 lb. macaroni type pasta , fusilli , ziti , etc. any kind will do

Directions:

In a heavy stockpot ( Le Creuset) melt the butter with the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the meat (you can cook in batches if need to ) cook until just cooked through. Using a slotted spoon , remove the meat from the pot and set aside.

Add the pancetta to the pot and cook until pancetta gets crispy. Stir in the crushed red pepper and garlic for about 1 minute. Add the onion , carrots and celery and cook until onion is translucent , about 15 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste , cook for another 2 minutes then add the red wine and bring to a simmer.

Add back in the meat to the pot along with the tomatoes, water and salt. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer for another hour.

Remove the lid after the first hour, continue to simmer the sauce till it thickens nicely, 1/2 hour more should be sufficient. Season to taste with Salt and Pepper, I didn’t add any more salt, just a few grinds of cracked black pepper.

Cook your pasta according to the package instructions for al dente.

I plated pasta in bowls and spooned sauce over it, if sauce is very thick you can add a little water to it.

Finish each bowl with some cheese of your liking and a dollop of fresh ricotta would be lovely. I used Ricotta Salata and sprinkled Parmigiano-Reggiano over it.

Needless to say this was delicious.

Enjoy! and it’s worth the effort.

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  Spaghetti Carbonara–After Thanksgiving Pasta

Posted on December 1, 2013 | 2 comments

It’s two days after Thanksgiving , I am feeling rather rested,  my lists have been tossed in the garbage, my thoughts are once more collected and I am feeling a new sense of calm . I took a 90 minute spin class on Friday morning not so much to try to undo the damage of all that eating but to clear my head. Well it’s officially cleared. I don’t end up with too many leftovers because my policy is to give out containers for my guests to take home. When it’s over it’s really over around here. (except for a tiny bit of dessert , which of course I had to keep)

Now I was really craving pasta but absolutely had to make it from what I had in my house because I am not going near a supermarket for at least a few more days. So few ingredients for such a perfect pasta.  I had pasta, eggs, and I always have pancetta in my freezer.  Real carbonara recipes do not contain cream contrary to many recipes , however I did have a tiny bit of heavy cream in the fridge and I like the silky texture of it so I added a little bit, it is totally optional as recipe shows but I like it.  This is a wonderful warming pasta for the cold nights ahead.

*serves between 4-6 depending on who’s eating it

Ingredients:

1 lb. dry spaghetti ( I love bucatini or perciatelli ) I like the ropey pasta , but use whatever you have in the house, any spaghetti will work.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 oz. chopped pancetta ( I buy it already diced and keep it in the freezer)

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 large eggs beaten

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano , plus more for serving

Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

I like to prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the pasta will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished, With this recipe you’ll want the pasta very hot when adding the raw eggs so that the eggs cook in the sauce,

Cook pasta according to box directions for al dente. Reserve about a cup of pasta water for thinning out sauce.

Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over a medium heat.

Add the pancetta and sauté for about 3 minutes, until it is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and sauté for a minute or so till it softens.

Add the hot drained pasta to the pan and give it a good toss for a few minutes , you’ll want pasta to be coated in the bacon fat. Beat the eggs and parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stir well to prevent lumps. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken but do not scramble (that is why you do this off the heat) Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water until it reaches desired consistency. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and salt for taste.

Add more cheese at table if you’d like!

Simple and Delicious!

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