When my husband was little, Spaghetti alla Carbonara was one of his all time favorites. It's one of those comfort foods that reminds him of his childhood. I don't know how many times he has ordered this dish at a restaurant, only to be disappointed because it didn't compare to his Mamma's. It turns out Mamma took some creative Tuscan liberties with this traditional Roman dish. Her ability improvise and create in the kitchen has always inspired me. Cooking was one of the ways that she loved on her family. The traditional carbonara recipe calls for mixing beaten, raw egg yolks and the hot starchy water from the spaghetti to give it a more creamy consistency rather than the scrambled egg consistency. Although the raw egg probably cooks a bit in the hot pasta, I'm not a fan of raw egg and am more inspired by my mother in-law's version. When I lived in the U.S. it was hard to find pancetta, so I used bacon or cubed ham, but it was never the same. In Germany, I have found Gourmet KatenschinkenIn, which works perfectly. Here's a recipe that I found in English for the more traditional take on this recipe. If you and your family are lovers of scrambled eggs and bacon, this just might end up becoming one of your favorites too. Creatively, Cathy
0 Comments
I remember the days when our kids were little. After a long day of teaching, homework, and after school activities, who felt like cooking? My husband worked shift work, so most of the cooking fell on me. Sometimes it was just easier to go out and get McDonald's or order a pizza. Yet, my mother-in-law taught me the simplest recipes for pasta that could be created quicker than the amount of time that it took me to go to McDonald's or have a pizza delivered. One thing about Nonna's cooking was the simplicity of ingredients and her creativity in combining them. The simple, nutritious ingredients were a better choice than fast food. Of course, in those days there was no such thing as gluten-free ingredients, so you can make the substitutions as you see fit. Nonna's go-to recipes are always ones that I share with friends who are looking at a way to expand their home menus. Whether you are a busy parent, a workaholic with little time to cook, or someone whose looking for quick healthy options, I am hoping this can be something to help you. This Pasta al Pesto sauce is great because the only cooking that needs to be done is the pasta. This is a no-cook sauce that you can get on the table in 20 minutes or less. Getting Creative with PestoAt my house, olive oil, basil, pine nuts, and Parmesan cheese are staples and usually readily available. In Italian, the word pesto comes from the verb pestare, which means to grind. Think of a mortar and pestle, which is what my mother-in-law used. I use a food processor. You can get creative thinking about the kinds of ingredients that you could easily grind together to make an olive oil-based sauce. One time I was out of pine nuts, so I substituted the pine nuts with pistachios. Another time I did not have any basil so I substituted the basil with zucchini. There are so many different combinations that you could come up with different nuts, leaves, and veggies. Don't worry so much about measuring out exact amounts, just go by eye and taste. You can also adjust the amount of olive oil that you use, making the sauce thick or runny. Sometimes I make a big batch and have extra that I keep in the freezer, ready for the next meal. Sometimes I even use a little basil pesto to put in my tomato, mozzarella salad. I'd love to hear about any pesto innovations that you have come up with. Enjoy! |
About CathyI'm a wife, mother, friend, educator, traveler, creator, tech lover, (and much more) inspired by Brene Brown's call to being vulnerable and daring greatly. Archives
September 2020
Categories |