Pasta Carbonara (aka Bacon Pasta!)

Well, it has been a while!  Fitzy called the other day and said, "I am really getting sick of Salt Potatoes!" :)

I have missed my little blog and have tons of photos to upload.  I just need to choose what to post first.  How about another easy, quick, and very tasty recipe?  Hmmm....got it!  Pasta Carbonara or "Bacon Pasta", as my youngest calls it, was a hit at our house. 

Pasta Carbonara

adapted from Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking

1/2 pound cubed pancetta or bacon

3 garlic cloves

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup dry white wine

2 large eggs
1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano cheese
1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

1 pound spaghetti

Cut the pancetta or slab bacon into strips not quite 1/4 inch wide.  Lightly mash the garlic with a knife handle, enough to loosen the skin, discard skin. Put the garlic and olive oil into a medium sauté pan and turn on the heat to medium high. Sauté until the garlic becomes golden colored, remove and discard it.

Put the strips of pancetta or bacon into the pan, and cook until they just begin to crisp at the edges. Add the wine, let it bubble away for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn off the heat.

Break the 2 eggs into a large serving bowl. Whisk them lightly, then add the two grated cheeses, freshly ground pepper (a good amount), and the chopped parsley. Mix thoroughly.

Add cooked drained spaghetti to the bowl, and toss to coat all the spaghetti.  Add bacon and toss again.  Enjoy!

Macaroni & Cheese Casserole

 
This is my sister Amelia's all-time favorite dish.  She is the youngest in our family.  This is also the all-time favorite of my youngest child (also a girl)!  You will see my daughter's little hands in some of the pictures below....she also helped me make the homemade bread crumbs.  I think a crispy bread crumb topping is essential for this casserole.  The smooth and creamy cheese sauce and macaroni provide a wonderful contrast against the crispy crumb topping.  This is comfort food for sure! 

Macaroni & Cheese
adapted from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook


1 pound of macaroni, cooked
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (I used a basic New York Cheddar- it is yellow/orange in color)
8 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese (I used a Vermont cheese --it is white in color)
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (see recipe here Bread Crumbs 101)
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
8 Tablespoons flour
5 cups whole milk (heated --I heated my milk in the microwave)
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (to drizzle over bread crumb topping)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Grate the cheeses onto a piece of parchment or wax paper --this will allow easy transfer to the pot.  Cook the macaroni and drain (do not rinse with water).  Transfer cooked pasta to 9x13 casserole dish.
Melt the butter in a large saucepan.  Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles, about 2-3 minutes.  (Don't let it get brown.)  Add the hot milk gradually, continuing to stir as the sauce thickens.  Bring to a boil.  Add salt and pepper to taste (about a teaspoon each), lower the heat to med/low and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes more.  Add the cheese and stir to combine --about a minute. 
Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to combine --make sure all the macaroni is coated with cheese sauce.  Sprinkle bread crumbs over casserole and then drizzle with melted butter.
Bake uncovered for 20-30 minutes until cheese sauce is bubbling.

Mary's Meatballs & Sauce

I know what Fitzy's going to say when she sees the title of this post...."Mary, Mary, Mary, what about me?!!"  Actually, I am fairly certain that Fitzy has a recipe just like this one.  Mary and Fitzy both have Irish and Italian heritage.  This sauce is classic Italian-American.  It is similar to the Manly Sauce but much less "manly".  I modified her recipe just a tiny bit --used homemade dry bread crumbs with dry herbs rather than an "italian flavored" variety from the supermarket.  I love it because it is super easy and tastes great! 

Mary's Meatballs & Sauce


1 package, usually about 2 lbs., of ground meatloaf mix (a combination of ground veal, pork and beef)
1 large egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs (homemade preferred! see recipe here Bread Crumbs 101)
1 teaspoon dried italian herb mix
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 cup finely shredded Parmagiano Reggiano
freshly ground pepper
kosher salt
2 cans (28 oz. each) San Marzano whole, peeled tomatos
3-5 whole garlic cloves, peeled
olive oil

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

To make sauce:
Put 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large sauce pan or pot and heat on medium.  Put garlic cloves into hot oil and saute' until golden brown.  Pour tomatoes and juice into pot and bring to a simmer.  Now go make the meatballs.

To make meatballs:
Place a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan (I put foil and then parchment for easy cleanup).  Put ground meat mixture in 9x13 pan.  I love Mary's use of the 9x13 pan for mixing rather than using a bowl.  I think it makes it easier to fold the ingredients together so that there is no "overmixing" (which can produce tough meatballs).  Mix meat so that no one type is all in one place (you want a little pork,veal, and beef in each meatball).  Sprinkle bread crumbs, garlic powder, dried herbs, shredded parmesan and salt & pepper over the meat mixture.  Beat egg with milk and pour over meat.  Use hands to fold mixture so that all the ingredients are blended with meat --do not over mix.  Form into 1 to 2-inch balls and place on parchment lined sheet pan.  Repeat until all meatballs have been formed.  Makes about 25-28 meatballs.  Put pan into oven and bake for about 20 minutes until light brown in color.  Using tongs, transfer cooked meatballs to tomato sauce and allow to simmer in sauce for an hour.

After meatballs have simmered in sauce for an hour remove meatballs and garlic cloves and set aside.  Pour sauce into blender in batches and blend until smooth.  BE CAREFUL when blending hot liquids!  Don't fill blender jar too full and make sure to hold top down with your hand.  Pour smooth (blended) sauce back into pan and return meatballs to sauce.  Discard garlic cloves.  (This is Mary's recipe and she does not like chucks of garlic in her sauce --keep them in if you don't mind it!)  If you have a stick blender (immersion-type of hand-held blender) this would be even easier.  Just remove meatballs and garlic from pot, go to work with your stick blender and then add meatballs back in.

Meatballs can simmer in sauce for a couple more hours or served right away.  YUM!