I had a pet theory about pasta carbonara. To me, it seemed like the quintessential late winter, early spring dish. Before being able to buy whatever ingredients whenever we wanted, eating with the seasons was the only option. In the late winter and early spring, the only meat still hanging around was doing it quite literally. It was cured. Like bacon, pancetta and guanciale. And some of the earliest spring veggies are peas. And, despite it being less than traditional, I like mine with peas. Probably because the green makes me feel less guilty about the pork fat and cheese. Or, because I really like peas. When I did a little research on the matter, it seems that pasta carbonara is really an austerity measure dish. The simple ingredients make plain pasta feel fancy and you can serve a delicious dish on the cheap. 2 – 3 slices bacon, pancetta or guanciale (most traditional); small dice 2 eggs ½ pound spaghetti salt and pepper 2 – 4 tablespoons grated pecorino Butter (optional, nontraditional addition) 1 cups peas (optional, nontraditional addition) Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, add the diced bacon to a large skillet on medium … Continue reading
Tag Archives: weeknight meals
My dear friend Molly recently asked for this recipe. She likes to eat at Protein Bar in Chicago for quick, healthy lunches; her favorite is their Healthy Parm and she wanted advice on how to make it at home. While I’ve never been myself, next time I’m in Chicago, I hope to stop in and see how this dish stacks up against its inspiration. To stay true to Molly’s request, I kept the grilled chicken, but I’m sure it would be equally good with grilled shrimp. Marc and I have been eating it with toasted chickpeas and pine nuts to keep it vegetarian. I make the tomatoes and caponata in bulk on Sundays and then we can eat it for lunches or quick weeknight dinners until it runs out. Hint: it never makes it until Friday. Molly, this one’s for you! Caponata Roasted tomatoes 8 boneless skinless thighs or breasts (I like the dark meat) ½ pound parmigiano reggiano, grana padano, piave or other hard, salty, nutty Italian cheese (when I use cheese as a garnish like this, I buy just a little and use the really good, somewhat expensive stuff- it’s the big flavor of the dish) quinoa Marinade: … Continue reading
I roasted a lot of beets in January. And I still have some hanging around. This was intentional. One strategy that makes home cooking more relaxing in the long run is to prepare several recipes that require an overlapping labor intensive ingredient. So rather than roasting beets every week, I roasted a large quantity of beets and made several beet friendly meals. Go assemblage cooking! If you need a reminder on how to roast beets, check out the Golden Beet Bruschetta recipe. 4 cups arugula or your favorite green leaf 1 cup chopped roasted beets 2 ounces goat cheese salt and pepper ½ cup pecan halves or pieces. 2 tablespoons maple syrup ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon olive oil To make candied pecans: Preheat over to 425°. Coat pecans in the maple syrup and the salt and pepper on a cookie sheet. Spread them out so they’re not too close together. Toast in the oven for 5 minutes. Stir and Toast for another 5 minutes. All the moisture should evaporate and the nuts should be glossy. Remove and cool. Break apart with your hands. Toss greens with another ¼ teaspoon of salt … Continue reading
