Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!

Jamie Oliver's Pappardelle with a Ragu of Tiny Meatballs

This is a sophisticated version of spaghetti and meatballs - that 'Italian classic' that no mama in Italy would ever make. For some reason it has caught on here in North American. I bet if you asked 100 folk to name their favourite pasta dish more than a third would select this!

While this recipe looks complicated it isn't. You can make the meatballs in advance and then just toss them together with the sauce as the water for the pasta boils.

Jamie Oliver's Pappardelle with a Ragu of Tiny Meatballs

1 x basic pasta dough or use 1 lb good-quality dried pappardelle
A knob of butter
Parmesan cheese

Meatballs
1 Pound ground beef  -Jamie makes a point in the book to say have the butcher grind this in front of you and be sure to get hormone and antibiotic free meat
1-2 Dried chillies
Pinch of ground cinnamon
1/2 Nutmeg, grated
3 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Large egg   -  He also points out this should be free range organic
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Zest of 1 lemon - I personally think you should use less, maybe a half?
Salt and pepper

For the tomato sauce
Olive oil
2-3 Cloves of garlic, finely chopped
A Bunch of basil, leaves picked and stalks chopped
1 Fresh red chili, pierced with the tip of a knife - I used a dried for this
2 x 400g Tins of plum tomatoes
Swig of red wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

If you’re making fresh pappardelle to this first and lay it out on a floured pan while you get on with the meatballs and tomato sauce.

To make your meatballs, mix and 'scrunch' (a Jamieism) together all the meatball ingredients in your hands and shape into marble-sized balls. When rolling the meatballs, run your hands under cold water every now and then – it will help to make the meatballs dense and hold their shape better. Place them in a pan and put in the fridge while you make your tomato sauce.

Get a pan on the heat and add a glug of olive oil to it. Gently fry the garlic, basil stalks and the whole chili, then add the tomatoes and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper then gently simmer for half an hour.

Heat up a little olive oil in a frying pan and throw in your meatballs. Cook until they’ve got a really good color on them, and then add them to your tomato sauce. Remove the chili from the sauce and check for seasoning. Continue to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, if you’re using dried pasta, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook according to the package instructions. Otherwise, when your meatballs are almost done, cook your fresh pasta for 2 to 3 minutes until al dente.

Drain the pappardelle in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water, then toss it in the meatball sauce. Add the knob of butter, the Parmesan and tear over half the basil leaves. Now, toss around to coat the pasta. Add a little bit of cooking water to loosen the sauce if needed.

When it’s superb, serve on a big platter or divide up between individual plates, scatter with the rest of the basil leaves, grate over some Parmesan and serve as soon as possible.

Jamie Oliver's Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

This is my entry for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging round up. This blogging event was started by Kalyn from Kalyn's Kitchen. The round up is hosted this week by Anh from Food Lover's Journey - be sure to pop by to see what other bloggers have come up with.

Last night for dinner we wanted something that would go with our breadsticks (which are equally as impressive on the second day!).

I was also craving the wonderful taste of blue cheese.

I know. I am insane.

We ended up making gnocchi with a gorgonzola cream sauce. Let me be VERY clear that there is NOTHING low-fat about this dish. This is a recipe from our well-used cookbook by Jamie Oliver 'Cook With Jamie'. He provides the directions for making your own gnocchi - we were lazy and bought ours.

This is a quick recipe to pull together and packs a wonderful flavour.

Gnocchi with Gorgonzola Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons gorgonzola cheese (dolce if you can find it)
3 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons heavy cream
a small bunch of fresh marjoram, leaves picked
Parmesan cheese for grating
freshly ground pepper

Heat a saute pan on low heat. Add 2 T. gorgonzola dolce, 3 T. butter and 6 T. heavy cream with a pinch of black pepper. Mix together using the back of a wooden spoon until you have a smooth melted cheese sauce.

Cook your gnocchi and toss them in the gorgonzola sauce.

Serve with plenty of parmesan and a sprinkle of marjoram leaves.

This was the first time that I have used fresh marjoram in a recipe. It provided a delicious contrast to the tangy and rich gorgonzola sauce.

Marjoram is often compared to – or confused with – oregano, but these two herbs are actually quite distinct. Although the plants look similar and do share a fresh, tangy flavour, marjoram is much milder and sweeter than oregano and tastes slightly earthy.

Marjoram is classified as a perennial and can be grown outdoors in a variety of climates, but should always be brought indoors when the temperature drops because the leafy plant often withers when exposed to frost. Fresh marjoram is at its best in the late summer but can also be found year-round since the spice takes well to being grown hydroponically.

Storing
Fresh marjoram stems can be stored in baggies in the fridge for up to a week, or frozen for maximum flavour maintenance. Try freezing entire stems on cookie sheets, then stripping the leaves from the stems and storing them in the freezer in plastic containers. Finely chopped marjoram leaves can also be combined with olive oil or butter and refrigerated or frozen to use in recipes. Marjoram retains its flavour fairly well when dried, too, especially when stored in an airtight container. Fresh marjoram can easily be dried by spreading the leaves on screens and laying them in a cool, arid place or hanging small bundles of the leaves upside down. Buy small amounts of store bought dried and ground marjoram to use as needed, and keep for up to six months in airtight containers.

How to Use It
The flavour of marjoram lends itself well to a variety of foods, including lamb, beef, pork, chicken, fish, tomato dishes, stuffings, breads, salad dressings, and chowders. It’s widely used in Italian, French, North African, Middle Eastern, and American cuisines and is also prevalent in spice blends such as bouquet garni, fines herbes and sausage and pickle blends.

When cooking with marjoram, bear in mind that its oils are easily destroyed by heat and thus it should be added to dishes just before serving. The aromatic oils in marjoram can also be affected by too much sunlight, so if you choose to grow your own, cultivate the plant in a shady spot and always harvest in the morning before the sun’s heat can affect the fresh flavour of the herb.

Jamie Oliver's Zuchinni Carbonara

Paul whipped this together - yet another treat from his Cook With Jamie cookbook. It isn't the traditional version of Carbonara but the addition of asparagus (we added the asparagus because I neglected to buy enough zucchini) and zucchini is interesting. This is a great pasta dish for the spring.

Carbonara is a classic pasta sauce made with cream, bacon and Parmesan and is absolutely delicious. Try to buy the best ingredients you can, as that’s what really helps to make this dish amazing. When it comes to the type of pasta, you can serve carbonara with spaghetti or linguine, but I’ve been told by Italian mammas (who I don’t argue with!) that penne is the original, so that’s what I’m using in this recipe. Before you start cooking, it’s important to get yourself a very large pan, or use a high-sided roasting tray so you can give the pasta a good toss.

Jamie Oliver's Zucchini Carbonara

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 medium green and yellow courgettes
500g penne
4 large free-range or organic egg yolks
100ml double cream
2 good handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
olive oil
12 thick slices of pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, cut into chunky lardoons
a small bunch of fresh thyme, leaves picked and chopped, flowers reserved (if you can get hold of flowering thyme)
optional: a few courgette flowers

Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Halve and then quarter any larger courgettes length ways. Cut out and discard any fluffy middle bits, and slice the courgettes at an angle into pieces roughly the same size and shape as the penne. Smaller courgettes can simply be sliced finely. Your water will now be boiling, so add the penne to the pan and cook according to the packet instructions.

To make your creamy carbonara sauce, put the egg yolks into a bowl, add the cream and half the Parmesan, and mix together with a fork. Season lightly and put to one side.

Heat a very large frying pan (a 35cm one is a good start – every house should have one!), add a good splash of olive oil and fry the pancetta or bacon until dark brown and crisp. Add the courgette slices and 2 big pinches of black pepper, not just to season but to give it a bit of a kick. Sprinkle in the thyme leaves, give everything a stir, so the courgettes become coated with all the lovely bacon-flavoured oil, and fry until they start to turn lightly golden and have softened slightly.

It’s very important to get this next bit right or your carbonara could end up ruined. You need to work quickly. When the pasta is cooked, drain it, reserving a little of the cooking water. Immediately, toss the pasta in the pan with the courgettes, bacon and lovely flavours, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and your creamy sauce. Stir together quickly. (No more cooking now, otherwise you’ll scramble the eggs.)

Get everyone around the table, ready to eat straight away. While you’re tossing the pasta and sauce, sprinkle in the rest of the Parmesan and a little more of the cooking water if needed, to give you a silky and shiny sauce. Taste quickly for seasoning. If you’ve managed to get any courgette flowers, tear them over the top, then serve and eat immediately, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left too long.

Jamie Oliver's Slow-cooked Duck Pasta

We have so many lasting memories of our 2006 trip to Italy. One of the things which always come to mind is the meal we enjoyed under the stars at the villa we rented in Tuscany. It was a mild October night. The stars were out, the the crickets chirped. You could smell the soft scents of the rosemary and olive trees in the wind.

Gabrielle and his family had outdone themselves. We sat at a long table.  Candles, protected from the soft winds in clear glass jars, hung from the olive trees, their flames flickering in the darkness. Laughter and wine flowed.  Soon Gabrielle and his girlfriend started to bring out the food that his family had spent all day preparing. Oh my!

It was to be one of the most amazing meals I ever remember! We ate, smiled, talked, and ate some more. Hours passed before we finished. It was a memory of italian life; the celebration of simple things - friendship, family, love, laughter, food, and wine, that I so adore about Italy.

I was clicking through blogs the other day and Sandi had a post about Festa Italiano.  Proud Italian Cook - Marie, and Maryann at Finding La Dolce Vita are hosting a Festa Italiana on March 22. As Sandi also declared, this is a party I didn't want to miss!

It is only going to be 52 days until we fly back to Italy (not that I am counting them down or anything . . .)

My contribution for Festa Italiano is this amazing pasta dish created by Jamie Oliver. I love sweet and sour dishes such as this one. It’s got orange, vinegar, raisins, and bacon, and it works together extremely well. The only downside was that I had to roast a whole duck and then pick the greasy meat off of its bones. I hate working with duck because it is so greasy. Oh well, given the amazing final results it was bloody worth it (as Jamie himself might declare)

Slow-cooked duck pasta

1 duck
olive oil
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
1 orange, quartered
1 lb pasta (rigatoni or occhi di lupo work well)
2 knobs of butter
1 large handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for serving
a small bunch of flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
zest and juice of 1 orange
red wine vinegar

For the sauce:

olive oil
6 slices of pancetta, finely diced
1 red onion, peeled and finely diced
2 carrots, peeled and finely diced
2 sticks of celery, trimmed and finely diced
6 springs of fresh rosemary, leaves picked and finely chopped
1 stick of cinnamon
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
2x14 oz cans of good quality plum tomatoes
1/2 a 750 ml bottle of fruity red wine (Valpolicella of Barbera works well)
chicken stock
a handful of raisins
a large handful of pinenuts

Preheat the oven 350ºF.

Stuff a duck with a quartered orange; rub the outside with olive oil, salt, and pepper; and roast, breast-side down in a roasting pan, for two hours, turning every 30 minutes. Let it cool, and pull off all the meat.

Pour some olive oil into a large pot. Fry the diced pancetta until golden. Add red onion, carrots, celery, rosemary, cinnamon stick, and sliced garlic cloves. Cook slowly until it all softens up (about 10 minutes). Add the plum tomatoes and red wine. Let simmer for about an hour. Shred the duck meat and add it to the sauce. Cook for another half hour, adding water or chicken stock if it becomes dry. Remove the cinnamon stick, and add a handful each pine nuts and golden raisins. Continue to simmer while the pasta cooks.

Cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water. Drain (preserving some of the cooking water).

Toss the pasta into the sauce. Stir in a knob of butter, a handful of grated Parmesan, the zest and juice of 1 orange, chopped parsley, and a splash of red wine vinegar.

Loosen the sauce with the reserved cooking water if necessary. Check seasonings. Served with a flurry of grated cheese and a sprinkle of parsley flakes.

Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Red Wine

Yes, it is still the 'Great White North' here in Canada. It seems everytime I turn around more snow is falling. I've had enough. One of the few ways to beat the bad weather is a hot meal that has been simmering on the stove for hours. Well, there are other ways but we'll just not mention those for now, this is a family blog!

This recipe for slowly braised beef served over noodles seemed like a sure thing to fight off the 'will winter ever leave blahs . . .' It was!

You can add a teaspoon or two of ground dried porcini mushrooms (i popped in a porcini boullion cube I brought back from Italy last fall) along with the broth and red wine to give the dish an extra layer of mushroom flavor. The more meaty, earthy-tasting mushrooms such as porcini or black trumpet are ideal to use. We served this over egg noodles.

Braised Beef with Mushrooms and Red Wine

1/2 cup dried porcini mushrooms (about 1/2 ounce)
1 cup boiling water
1 1/4 pounds lean beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch cubes
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup pearl onions (about 16)
6 cups chopped cremini mushrooms (about 1 pound)
1 1/2 cups (1/4-inch) slices carrot (about 2 large)
1 1/2 cups fat-free, less-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup dry red wine
4 thyme sprigs
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons cornstarch

Combine porcini mushrooms and 1 cup boiling water in a small bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Drain mushrooms through a sieve into a bowl, reserving liquid. Chop mushrooms; set aside.

Sprinkle beef with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add half of beef to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until lightly browned on all sides. Remove beef from pan with a slotted spoon; place in a bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining beef.

Add onions to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Add cremini mushrooms and carrot; sauté 3 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add beef, porcini mushrooms, porcini liquid, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper, broth, and next 4 ingredients (through bay leaves); bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 1/2 hours or until beef is tender. Uncover and cook 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Combine 1 tablespoon water and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to pan; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until liquid thickens. Discard thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 307 (30% from fat); FAT 10.3g (sat 3.8g,mono 4.3g,poly 0.6g); PROTEIN 33.5g; CHOLESTEROL 88mg; CALCIUM 47mg; SODIUM 716mg; FIBER 3.5g; IRON 4.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 19.9g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Ziti with Fennel and Sausage

Lately we have been enamored with fennel. The other day I was searching for a recipe which would use up some ingredients I had on hand (turkey sausage and fennel) and I came across this one at Cooking Light. It seemed perfect - it used up those ingredients AND it was low-fat.

I wondered about the combination though, I know that Italians use fennel a fair bit in their cooking but was curious about how it would taste in a tomato based sauce. I did some more searching and came upon a recipe (remarkably similar - hello . . . copy rite . . .)at the web site of famed celebrity chef Lidia Bastianich. I was sold - if Lidia says it is OK then it was.

By moving ingredients to one side and adding a new ingredient in the open space, each can be sautéed in direct contact with the pan to achieve the right browning, instead of steaming in the mass of ingredients. Keep more than two cups of the pasta cooking water to adjust the sauce. If the pasta appears dry, ladle in more cooking water; if it is soupy, increase the heat to cook it rapidly and thicken the sauce.

Ziti with Fennel, Onion, and Sausage

1 (1 1/4-pound) fennel bulb
6 quarts water
2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1 pound uncooked ziti (short, tube-shaped pasta)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian sausage
2 cups (1/4-inch-thick) onion wedges (about 2 medium)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese

Trim fennel, reserving fronds and bulb. Cut fennel bulb in half lengthwise; cut each bulb half lengthwise into (1/4-inch-thick) slices. Cut bulb slices into 2-inch-long pieces. Chop fennel fronds to measure 1/3 cup.

Bring 6 quarts water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a large stockpot. Stir in pasta; partially cover, and return to a boil, stirring frequently. Cook 8 minutes or until the pasta is almost al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta in a colander over a bowl, reserving 2 cups cooking water.

While pasta cooks, heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from casings. Add sausage to Dutch oven; cook 2 minutes or until lightly browned, stirring to crumble. Push sausage to one side of pan. Add onion to open space in pan; cook 1 minute or until onion begins to soften. Stir onion into sausage. Push onion mixture to one side of the pan. Add fennel bulb to open space in pan; cook 1 minute or until fennel begins to soften. Stir fennel into onion mixture. Stir in pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook 1 minute. Move the sausage and fennel mixture to outside edges of pan, leaving an open space in center. Add 1/4 cup tomato paste to open space in pan; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir tomato paste into fennel mixture.

Add reserved 2 cups cooking water to pan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 6 minutes or until fennel is tender. Add fennel fronds and pasta; cook 2 minutes or until pasta is al dente, tossing to combine. Remove from heat; stir in cheese. Serve immediately.

Yield: 8 servings (serving size: about 1 3/4 cups)

CALORIES 352 (21% from fat); FAT 8.3g (sat 2.9g,mono 3.6g,poly 0.5g); PROTEIN 19g; CHOLESTEROL 20mg; CALCIUM 88mg; SODIUM 669mg; FIBER 3.8g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 51.7g

Cooking Light, DECEMBER 2004

Gorgonzola Fettuccine with Asparagus and Toasted Walnuts

Well, it is back to work tomorrow. ARGH

We had a busy day. All of the Christmas decorations are packed away, we cleaned, and returned the house back to 'normal', whatever normal is these days. In the midst of all of this I even found time to finish off the last of the work I had looming over my head, now I am ready (but not willing) to go back to the grind tomorrow.

It was Paul's turn to cook dinner this evening and he decided to make this great pasta dish from Cooking Light. He swears that he has made it before but I have no recollection of it (and certainly it has never appeared in the blog prior to this). Apparenlty being the old man that I am my mind has started to turn to mush.

Oh well, at least I am not as elderly as Rose (who turns 46 46 on Friday)!!!!

Hmm . . . I digress, back to the pasta. This was a flavourful dish with a rich and creamy sauce - imagine it being low fat!

8 ounces uncooked fettuccine
3 cups (1-inch) diagonally sliced asparagus (about 10 ounces)
2 teaspoons butter or stick margarine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups fat-free milk
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) Gorgonzola or other blue cheese, crumbled
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts, toasted
Freshly ground black pepper (optional)

Cook pasta in boiling water 6 minutes, omitting salt and fat. Add asparagus, and cook 2 minutes or until tender.

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook for 3 minutes. Add flour; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly. Gradually add milk, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in cream cheese and salt; cook 3 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly.

Drain pasta and asparagus; place in a large bowl. Add sauce; tossing to coat. Serve with Gorgonzola and walnuts, and sprinkle with pepper, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups pasta, 2 tablespoons gorgonzola, and 1 1/2 teaspoons walnuts)

CALORIES 399 (29% from fat); FAT 12.8g (sat 6.4g,mono 3.3g,poly 2.2g); PROTEIN 18g; CHOLESTEROL 28mg; CALCIUM 220mg; SODIUM 467mg; FIBER 3.8g; IRON 3.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 54.3g

Cooking Light, MAY 2000

Lasagna-Style Baked Pennette with Meat Sauce

a gratuitous self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 12 out of 467 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

---

Last week (I think it was last week, my lord how the time flies when you are being a complete slug) I was flipping through the December edition of Food and Wine magazine looking for something warm and hearty to make. This recipe seemed to fit the bill.

It was easy to prepare and packed a pleasing flavour. This dish is typical of the subtlety of Italian cooking - not the in-your-face Olive Garden style of over-spiced over-cheesed crap. Hmm, Jerry, tell us how you really feel! *smile*

The article that accompanied the recipe assured us that it was even better the second day - and it was!

1 pound pennette or ditali

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

1 pound ground lamb

1 pound ground veal

One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 teaspoons chopped marjoram

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 stick unsalted butter

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 quart whole milk

2 large egg yolks

1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta until al dente. Drain well.

In a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the onion and cook over moderately high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the ground lamb and veal and cook, stirring to break up the lumps, until the meat is beginning to brown, 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the diced tomatoes, tomato paste, marjoram and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a large bowl.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter. Add the flour and cook over moderate heat, whisking, for 2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and cook over moderately high heat, whisking constantly, until the sauce is very thick and boiling, 7 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and whisk in the egg yolks and the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir all but 1 1/2 cups of the sauce into the meat mixture along with the pasta and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the pasta into a 3-quart baking dish. Spread the reserved 1 1/2 cups of sauce on top.

Bake the pasta in the center of the oven for about 30 minutes, until bubbling. Preheat the broiler. Broil the pasta 8 inches from the heat for about 2 minutes, until the top is browned and bubbling. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

a shameless self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 16 out of 464 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

---

Christmas is breaking out all around us. There are those who dive in; it is as if they flick a switch and suddenly the house is wearing festive garb. We do not fall into that camp. While we adore the festive season, we prefer to ease our way into it.

A few weeks back I put up some of the outside lights. Last week I clambered back out on the roof (and earned the wrath of Paul who didn't want me on the roof while he was out) and put the ones the falling ice had ripped off back in place. I took that opportunity put out the rest of the lights.

This weekend we decorated the outdoor urns with greenery. Today I wore my first Christmas tie (the Grinch) and Paul put the Christmas cat collars on the guys. that is enough for now! *smile*

I've been busy with baking. We have a bake sale at work and people have been asking me what I am bringing. Tonight I made 4-chocolate brownies, chocolate cookies, and David Lebovitz's Caramelized matzoh Crunch.

These are busy times. For dinner I wanted something quick and easy to prepare. This pasta dish from Cooking Light fit the bill! Italian for "brother devil," fra diavolo sauce is usually tomato-based and always spicy. Although not traditional, mushrooms offer an earthiness that balances the heat. For a truly fiery dish, increase the crushed red pepper to 3/4 teaspoon.

8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (about 10 ounces)
2 1/2 cups Basic Marinara
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms to pan; sauté 6 minutes. Add Basic Marinara, red pepper, salt, and black pepper; bring to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes. Add shrimp; cook 3 minutes or until shrimp are done. Serve over pasta. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups shrimp mixture and about 1 cup pasta)

CALORIES 439 (17% from fat); FAT 8.5g (sat 1.3g,mono 4.4g,poly 1.7g); PROTEIN 33.8g; CHOLESTEROL 172mg; CALCIUM 118mg; SODIUM 660mg; FIBER 5g; IRON 5.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 56.5g

Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Fettuccine with Bacon, Peas, and Parmesan

a shameless self-promotion . . .

One of our photos from Italy has been entered in a photo contest.

Our photo is currently number 16 out of 464 photos.

You can vote by clicking here

Remember a 10 is good!

Feel free to e-mail the link to friends and loved ones!

*smile*

---

The other day I needed a quick dinner. This recipe seemed to fit the bill. I altered it slightly by adding aboout 1/2 cup of diced cooked ham. It was a quick and flavourful dinner - perfect for a busy weeknight.

Garlic bread and green salad will complete the menu with this quick pasta toss. Shake a dash of red pepper flakes over the dish for just a hint of heat.


1 (9-ounce) package fresh fettuccine pasta
2 slices smoked center-cut bacon
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/3 cup half-and-half
2 teaspoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain pasta, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid.

Cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in the pan; crumble. Add 1/2 cup chopped onion, bottled minced garlic, and chopped fresh thyme to drippings in pan; sauté 2 minutes. Stir in green peas; sauté 1 minute. Add green onions to pan; sauté 1 1/2 minutes. Add pasta, reserved cooking liquid, and half-and-half to pan; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, tossing to combine. Remove from heat. Add butter, salt, and pepper to pan; toss until butter melts. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon and Parmesan cheese.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/4 cups)

CALORIES 313 (28% from fat); FAT 9.9g (sat 4.5g,mono 3.8g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 14.2g; CHOLESTEROL 22mg; CALCIUM 145mg; SODIUM 747mg; FIBER 3.7g; IRON 0.7mg; CARBOHYDRATE 43.1g

Cooking Light, MARCH 2007