Pasta Carbonara

I'm a simple man. I like good beer, a nicely roasted chicken, and a good book. I like my food to (mostly) reflect that philosophy. Certainly building layers of flavor over time has its merits, but on a weeknight after a 10 hour work day, walking the dog, and picking up the house, do you really want to set in and make a 3 hour dinner (or tour)? No thanks.

To me, Italian cooking reflects this exact sentiment. There are two types of Italian cooking, the "grandmother over the stove all day" type which gives us Sunday gravy, tomato sauce, and lasagna; compare this to the second type, the "just got in from the fields or boats" which involves quick pasta tosses, grilled meat, and simple but delicious flavors. I like, no, love both kinds. But on a weeknight, I'm the fisherman. I'm exhausted and all I want is a simple dish of pasta, garlic, and maybe some bacon.

Enter carbonara. I can make this in the time it takes to boil the pasta. Fry some bacon, add a LOT of garlic, some red pepper flake, and some white wine, follow it with a simple mixture of egg, Parmesan cheese, parsley, and toss it all with the pasta to make a spicy, tangy sauce that lingers both in your mouth and permeates throughout the house. This is cooking at it's purest, simple ingredients allowed to shine on their own, their only purpose to make you smile.

Pasta Carbonara

1 pound dried spaghetti
1/4 pound bacon, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flake (more if you want spicy)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup grated Romano or Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
fresh tomatoes to garnish (optional)

Boil pasta in salted water according to package directions, undercooking by 1-2 minutes. Reserve 1 cup pasta water.

While pasta is cooking, heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil and bacon. Cook bacon until slightly crispy, about 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

While bacon is cooking combine egg, egg yolk, parsley, cheese, a good amount of pepper, and some salt in a bowl. Stir to combine. Add pasta water (~1/2 cup) slowly while stirring to temper eggs.

Add garlic and red pepper flake to skillet and cook, stirring often, until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. Add white wine to deglaze pan and stir up any bits stuck to bottom. Cook until liquid reduces by half, about 1-2 minutes. Add cooked, drained pasta to pan and toss to combine well. Turn off heat. Add egg and cheese mixture to pasta, stirring and tossing quickly to make sauce. If pasta is thick, add remaining pasta water to loosen. Serve immediately.

Baked Pasta

As I was sitting in Kansas City last week, snowed in up to my eyeballs, I made the resolve to blog a lot and get caught up on recipes I have had written down since July. Well, that didn't turn out according to plan, as I was either a) pooped or b) drinking beer once the sun set. What do you want from me? Happily, I can report I found a fantastic restaurant in KC called Blancs Burgers and Bottles, which serves not only really good burgers but also has a pretty impressive beer selection.

Also big on my list lately, easy food. Between myself and Em traveling lately, we barely had a together meal over 2 weeks. Not my idea of a good time, but I also try (TRY) to prevent ordering out when I'm by myself. That's a slippery road. I instead turned to my dear friend pasta to help me through the cold nights.

I started making baked pasta about a year ago, and it has evolved into a simple weeknight meal and something I can always make with what I have on hand. Since I made a lot of tomato sauce this summer, 1 bag of that out of the freezer is all I need to get this dish going. If you don't have that handy, you can always use jarred sauce, but try to stick to just the tomato variety (like Ragu).

Baked Pasta

2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups milk
2 cups tomato sauce (preferably home-made, if you don’t have it, use a jar of tomato pasta sauce)
¾ cup Parmesan cheese
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon red pepper flake
Salt and pepper
1 pound tube pasta (rigatoni or penne)

Preheat oven to 400°F. Cook pasta in well-salted water by package directions, undercooking by 1-2 minutes. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water when draining.

In a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter. Once melted whisk in flour and cook for 30 seconds until well combined. Whisk in milk (it will cook faster if the milk is at room temperature) and cook until thickened and bubbling, about 5 minutes. Add ½ cup of the Parmesan cheese, red pepper flake, nutmeg, and some salt and pepper. Turn off heat and add in tomato sauce. Season to taste.

In a 13x9 baking sheet add pasta. Add sauce over top and fold in to combine. If the sauce is too thick, add pasta water to thin it out. It will thicken as it bakes. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese, cover with foil, and bake for 20 minutes or until bubbly and hot. Enjoy.

Pasta Ala Easy

It's summer, and my garden has exploded.  It's what makes this part of the year so wonderful, the fresh produce and simplicity of the food I can make with it.  This previous weekend I did not plan for dinner.  It's these times that I enjoy much more than my wife.  While I think "oh man, I can make something really unique and fresh" and Emily thinks "what kind of Chinese should we get?"

Well, thankfully it's the summer, and my garden has been producing well.  Rather than opt for something complicated, I chose to create a fresh tomato and basil pasta, something the Italians call "pasta cruda".  Tomatoes, garlic, and basil tossed with a few other ingredients make a delicious and simple sauce.  You should easily be able to make everything you need for the sauce in the time it takes the pasta to cook.  And my wife never once mentioned anything about Chinese.

Easy Tomato Pasta

1 pound penne, rigatoni, or other tube pasta

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup basil, chopped

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in half

1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or Romano cheese

Salt a large pot of water and bring to a boil.  Boil pasta as directed, reserving 1 cup pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat.  Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes until soft.  Add garlic and oil to a large bowl with remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil.  Add red pepper flake, salt, pepper, basil, cheese, and tomatoes to bowl.  Drain pasta, add to bowl, and toss to combine.  Add a little bit of water as needed to loosen sauce.  Serve warm.