SPAGHETTI WITH ASPARAGUS, SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO

My love affair with Scamorza is just starting to bloom. Actually it is smoked Scamorza that I love. In May I had dinner at Berreta in San Francisco. Great restaurant! We ordered Zucchini Parmigiana with Scamorza and Basil. There was a creamy, smoky flavor that haunted me. I had to learn more. Scamorza is an Italian cow's milk cheese similar to mozzarella. When smoked it adds an amazing dimension to your dish. It melts well and imparts an alluring smoky flavor. This pasta dish combines the saltiness of the proscuitto, the creamy smoky flavor of the cheese and the celebration of seasonal asparagus. This recipe just took top spot in my favorite pasta dinners.

SPAGHETTI WITH ASPARAGUS, SMOKED MOZZARELLA AND PROSCIUTTO

2 pounds asparagus, trimmed

3/4 pound spaghetti

4 TBSP. olive oil

4 garlic cloves, minced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

6 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto, cut crosswise into strips

6 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese (smoked scamorza), diced (about 1 cup)

6 TBSP. thinly sliced fresh basil leaves

Cook the asparagus in a large pot of boiling slated water until crisp tender, about 2-3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the asparagus from boiling water to a bowl of ice water to cool and stop the cooking. When cool, strain, cut asparagus into 1" pieces and set aside.

Return the water in the pot to a boil, adding additional water if necessary. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add asparagus to the skillet. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the pasta, and if needed, some of the reserved cooking liquid. Toss to coat. Add the prosciutto, mozzarella, and basil, and toss to combine. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Recipe from Giada De Laurentis

PASTA WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND SAUSAGE

Our host of The Food Matters Project this week is Erin of The Goodness Life. Erin chose Mark Bittman's recipe for Cannellini with Shredded Brussels Sprouts and Sausage. I used Amaranth Greens instead of Brussels Sprouts.

For about a month each year these greens show up at the Farmer's Market. Only one person grows Amaranth so when I see those beautiful greens any menu plans go out the window and these will appear on the table. You can read more about Amaranth Greens here.

I added some orchiette pasta along with a spicy Italian turkey sausage, garlic, onions, wine, chicken stock, greens and fresh rosemary. It was an amazing one pot meal (I cooked everything in the pasta pot).

For Mark Bittman's recipe click here. For the other members take on this recipe click here.

PASTA WITH CANNELLINI BEANS AND SAUSAGE

Serves 6

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

8 ounces orchiette pasta

8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage, casings removed

1 medium onion, diced

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. finely chopped rosemary leaves

1 cup white wine

1 cup chicken stock

2-15 ounce cans Cannellinni beans, rinsed and drained

1 bunch Amaranth greens (or baby spinach)

olive oil

Fresh grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add salt and pasta. Cook pasta, stirring occasionally, until tender according to package directions.

Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until brown, about 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, and rosemary and cook until onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add white wine, chicken stock and beans. Bring to a simmer, then add amaranth leaves and heat until wilted. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Stir in cooked pasta.

Ladle into bowls and serve with grated Parmesan cheese.

Recipe adapted from Buddy Valastro. 

 

 

BAKED RIGATONI WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS, BACON, CRANBERRIES, AND GORGONZOLA CHEESE

This is week 4 of the The Food Matters Project. Our host is Marcia  and she chose Mark Bittmans recipe for Baked Rigatoni with Brussels Sprouts, Figs, and Blue Cheese.

I thought this combination sounded amazing. BUT...when I ran the recipe by some trusted foodies and my husband there was a major lack of enthusiasm.  It may have been the blue cheese with pasta that was the deterrent, or maybe just a crazy (interesting) combination of ingredients.

Hubby (Ron) mentioned that he liked bacon with his Brussels sprouts and no blue cheese please. So I did what any good wife would do....I made HERS...

AND HIS

For my dish I browned some bacon and set it aside. Then I chopped some Brussels Sprouts and browned them in some of the bacon fat. After cooking the rigatoni I combined it with the sprouts, bacon, dried cranberries and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese.  Before baking it I mixed in some olive oil and a little pasta water. For "his" version, I left out the cranberries and Gorgonzola and mixed in grated Gruyere cheese. Baked it for a short time and then right before serving I topped it with chopped Marcona almonds.

The Verdict ?????

While "HIS" version looks more ooey-gooey-cheesy and decadent, "HERS" won!!!!  :) :) :)

We both loved the Gorgonzola-Cranberry-Bacon combination. And the chopped Marcona almonds on top were awesome. Marcona almonds used to be hard to find but I found some recently at Trader Joe's.

To see what everyone else working on this project made click here .

BAKED RIGATONI WITH BRUSSELS SPROUTS, BACON, CRANBERRIES AND GORGONZOLA CHEESE

2 TBSP. olive oil

8 oz. rigatoni pasta

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts, chopped

4 oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 cup dried cranberries

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup Marcona almonds, chopped

Heat oven to 400~. Grease a 9 x 13 " baking pan with olive oil. Cook bacon until crispy and set aside, reserving the grease in the pan. Crumble the bacon.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook it until al dente. Drain (reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water) and set aside.

Coarsely chop the Brussels sprouts and cook in the bacon grease until tender. In a large bowl combine the cooked sprouts, bacon, pasta, cranberries, and Gorgonzola cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Pour into the greased pan and add some of the pasta water (2 TBSP.), a little drizzle of olive oil, and bake for 15-20 minutes. Plate on serving dish and garnish with chopped Marcona almonds

Recipe adapted from The Food Matters Cook Book.

Original recipe can be found on  Twenty by Sixty Blog, our host Marcia.

RIDGEBACK SHRIMP OVER ANGEL HAIR PASTA

I wandered around the Farmer's Market on Saturday looking for inspiration for dinner. The ridgeback shrimp stand was there. Ridgeback shrimp are really prawns and they taste better than any shrimp I have had in a long time. They are tender and juicy and melt in your mouth. You can buy them fresh off the boat for about 5.00 per pound. They don't keep long so I use them right away.

I brought home 2 lbs. of them. I was thinking about how I would cook them and then I found the pasta lady. They make fresh pasta early in the morning before the market opens so it is REALLY fresh.

I decided on  fresh angel hair pasta.

 I took the heads off the shrimp (throw them in a bag and then in the freezer. Save them for your favorite fisherman to use as bait). Then I peeled the shells off and deveined them. This took a while but it was well worth the effort. Sometimes I just steam them whole and serve them as a peel and eat like I did here.

The pasta only takes about 2 minutes to cook so I put some water on the stove and then sauteed some chopped shallots in olive oil and butter. Added some garlic for just a minute and then tossed in the ridgeback tails.

The tails cook in just a minute so I drained the pasta and tossed the pasta with the tails. 

Top the pasta with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped fresh dill, salt and pepper. This was so good. If you can find fresh ridgebacks give this a try. They are harvested right here in the Santa Barbara Channel and are in season October through May or June.

RIDGEBACK SHRIMP OVER ANGEL HAIR PASTA

1 Shallot, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP. butter

2 TBSP. olive oil

1 lb. shrimp or 2 lbs. whole ridgeback shrimp

1 lb. angel hair pasta 

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Fresh dill, chopped

Lemon slices

Cook pasta according to directions on package or boil for 2 minutes if using fresh pasta.

In a large saute pan melt butter and oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook until soft (about 3 minutes). Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes and then add the shrimp tails. Cook for two minutes or until the shrimp changes color. Drain pasta and add to the pan. Toss for just a minute or so and then turn into a serving dish. Top with grated Parmesan cheese and chopped dill. Add a splash or two of olive on top before serving.

Serve with a lemon slice.

PASTA WITH VODKA

Sharon made this dish as her meal in our cook The Essential New York Times Cook Book project. It is simple and really good.

The sauce consists of equal parts Italian plum tomatoes, heavy cream and Parmesan cheese.

Add some good vodka, pepper flakes, and butter and enjoy over your favorite pasta.

Pasta With Vodka

Salt

1 ½ pounds pasta, such as penne or ziti

7 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons Polish or Russian Vodka

1 cup canned Italian plum tomatoes

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1.)     Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.  Add the pasta and cook until al dente.

2.)    Meanwhile, melt the butter in a casserole or saucepan large enough to hold the cooked pasta.  Add the pepper flakes and vodka and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat and let simmer for 2 minutes.

3.)    Add the tomatoes and cream and bring to a boil.  Let simmer for 5 minutes.  Season with salt.

4.)    When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it to the hot sauce.  With the heat on low, add the cheese and mix thoroughly.

Serves 6 as main course

Cooking Note:   It’s particularly important in a recipe this subtle to add enough salt to the pasta water (the water should taste salty) and cook it to truly al dente.

Recipe from The Essential New York Times Cook Book

PENNE PASTA SALAD WITH STEAK AND BALSAMIC HERB DRESSING

This is a great dish. It should make everyone in the family happy. Steak lovers, pasta lovers, and salad lovers, or if you are Ron, a whole lot of love all on one platter.

I used flat iron steak but any kind of steak would work. A nicely marbled rib eye would really taste good in this recipe.



Penne Rigate Pasta Salad with Rib Eyes Steak and Balsamic Herb Dressing:

1 (1-pound) Boneless Rib Eye steak or steak of your choice

Steak seasoning (your favorite brand)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound penne pasta, or your favorite pasta
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/4 cup plus extra-virgin olive oil

3 cups salad greens/spring mix


Season the steak with steak seasoning.  In a cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil over medium high heat. Cook steak about 5 minutes per side until rare to medium rare  Remove the meat from pan and let it rest for 5 minutes. Thinly slice the steak. Set aside.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, follow instructions on package. Drain pasta, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta water.

On the chopping board, add the 1/2 teaspoon salt with the garlic.  Smash the garlic into paste with the back of your knife.  In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic paste, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, fresh herbs, and olive oil until well combined. 

In a large mixing bowl toss the pasta, the reserved pasta water, the dressing and the salad greens together.  Taste the pasta and see if it needs more salt and black pepper.

 Arrange dressed pasta salad on plates and arrange steaks on top.  (You can also toss the steaks together with the pasta before arranging on plates if you like).


Recipe from uTry.it.com

CROCK POT LASAGNA

 I was curious if lasagna would work in the crock pot. It did and it was great! You can do this in the oven if you want but I like the crock pot. I cleaned out the pantry with this lasagna, using some jarred pasta sauce and some no-boil pasta noodles that have been hanging around. You can make your own pasta sauce and it might be even better. This is one of those make it your own recipes. Throw it all together, turn on the crock pot and go have some fun.

This was gooey, cheesy goodness.

                                                            SLOW COOKER LASAGNA

1 pound Italian Sausage

15 pieces No-Boil Lasagna noodles

12 ounces ricotta cheese

3 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

2 (26oz.) jars pasta sauce (or home made)

1/2 onion, chopped

1 TBSP. fresh parsley

In a medium skillet over medium heat, crumble and cook sausage and onion until sausage is brown. Mix in pasta sauce.

Mix ricotta and 2 cups mozzarella cheese together.

Spoon 1/4 of the sausage and pasta sauce mixture into crock pot. Top with 5 pasta noodles. Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture on top. Add 1/4 more of the sausage/sauce mixture. Top with 5 noodles and the rest of the cheese mixture. Spoon 1/4 of the sausage/sauce mixture on top, 5 noodles and remaining sausage/sauce mixture.

Cook on high for 2 hours and low for 1-2 hours, until pasta noodles are cooked but not too long or they turn mushy. You can also cook o low for 4 hours.

Fifteen minutes before serving top with the remaining 1 cup mozzarella cheese, cover to melt cheese.

SPAGHETTI WITH LEMON AND ASPARAGUS SAUCE

This delightful recipe comes from The Essential New York Times Cook Book.  It's like a lemon carbonara. It is creamy, buttery, and lemony. A great combination of flavors. I used more asparagus than the recipe called for and I liked it better that way. We had this as our main course but it would be delicious as a side or starter course.

 

 

                                    SPAGHETTI WITH LEMON AND ASPARAGUS SAUCE

 

6 TBSP. unsalted butter

8 thick asparagus spears, stalks peeled and cut into 1 inch lengths

Grated zest and juice of one lemon

2 large eggs

3/4 cup heavy cream

2 TBSP. freshly grated Parmesan cheese

4 gratings of nutmeg

3 TBSP. chopped flat-leaf parsley

Salt

1/2 pound spaghetti

Freshly ground black pepper

 

Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the asparagus and cook until just tender, about 6 minutes.

 

Meanwhile, combine the lemon zest, half of the lemon juice, the eggs, cream, Parmesan cheese, nutmeg, and parsley in a bowl and blend well. Taste the sauce. The lemon flavor should be subtle, but not overpowering. Add more lemon juice if needed.

 

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Stir in enough salt that the water tastes salty. Add the spaghetti, stir, and cook, stirring often, until al dente, 5-7 minutes.

 

Drain the spaghetti well. Immediately return it to the pot, and add the asparagus, with the butter, and lemon sauce. Toss well.

 

Turn the heat to low and gently toss the pasta over the heat for about 30 seconds, until the sauce thickens slightly and adheres to the pasta. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

 

Serves 2 as a main course and 4 as a first course.

 

 

Recipe from The Essential New York Times Cook Book

 

 

FARFALLE WITH LEEK AND SAUSAGE SAUCE

This week Sharon chose this recipe to make from The Essential New York Times Cook Book.  Sharon said it was great. She spiced it up when she served it with some red pepper flakes.

The sausage and leeks are sauteed in olive oil

                                              

Then you add the shallots, butter, peas, and broth. Mix it all together and pour over the cooked farfalle.

Top with grated Parmesan cheese.

Sounds so good. I can't wait to give it a try.

                                        

                                                FARFALLE WITH LEEK AND SAUSAGE SAUCE

2 large leeks

2 TBSP. olive oil

2 sweet Italian sausages, casings removed

1 tsp. minced shallot

1 TBSP. unsalted butter

1 cup young peas, blanched in boiling water until just tender, 2-3 minutes (use frozen if you want)

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound farfalle (bow tie pasta)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanshile, trim the leeks, discarding the top one-third of the rough green portion, and slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Rinse in several changes of cold water to remove all soil and grit; drain well.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the leeks and sausages and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the butter, peas, and broth and simmer gently for 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and keep warm over low heat.

Add the farfalle to boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally until al dente. Drain well and return to the pot.

Add the sauce to the pasta and toss well to coat. Add the cheese and toss well. Serve with additional cheese on the side.

Recipe from The Essential New York Times Cook Book



CREAMY, LIGHT MACARONI AND CHEESE

Last night was meatless Tuesday, aka cooking with my vegetarian niece Brittany. She is quite creative so I asked her to write the text for this post. Take it away Britty!!!

Want to travel back in time to when you didn't care about calories and could gobble up a full plate of mac and cheese with a hot dog on the side, and not gain any weight? Well we can't do that, but we can give you a recipe for mac and cheese that won't make you gain a pound.

This delicious recipe does not use any cream, but still has the most delicious texture and color of the creamy homemade mac and cheese you know and love...what's our secret?

                                             

                                               Butternut squash!!!!!

Squash is simmered until tender in broth, milk and garlic. When it is tender it is pureed in the blender and mixed with Gruyere, pecorino and Parmesan cheese. Add cooked cavatappi pasta and top with browned bread crumbs.

Pop in the oven and bake until hot and bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley and enjoy guilt free!

For even more fun serve this with a Skinny Girl Margarita (available at most grocery stores) and watch the pounds melt away.

                                          CREAMY, LIGHT MACARONI AND CHEESE

3 cups cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 pound squash)

1 1/4 cups fat-free, lower-sodium chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

1 1/2 cups fat-free milk

2 minced garlic cloves

1 tsp. kosher salt

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 TBSP. fat-free Greek yogurt

1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded Gruyere cheese

1 cup (4 ounces) grated pecorino romano cheese

1/4 cup (1 ounce) finely grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, divided

1 pound uncooked cavatappi pasta

Cooking spray

1 tsp. olive oil

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)

2n TBSP. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 375~.

Combine squash, broth, milk, and garlic in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until squash is tender when pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat.

Place the hot squash mixture in a blender. Add salt, pepper, and Greek yogurt. Remove the center piece of the blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Place blended squash mixture in a bowl; stir in Gruyere , pecorino romano and 2 TBSP. Parmigiano-Reggiano. Stir until combined.

Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain well. Add pasta to squash mixture, and stir until combined. Spread mixture evenly into a 13 x 9-inch glass or ceramic baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add panko, and cook for 2 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 2 TBSP Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Sprinkle evenly over the hot pasta mixture. Lightly coat topping with cooking spray.

Bake at 375~ for 25 minutes or until bubbly. Sprinkle with parsley, and serve immediately.

Recipe from Cooking Light Magazine



SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

Chef Mac is back! Sharon and her Grandson Mac have been cooking up a storm this week. They were kind enough to send me some pictures of their latest creation along with the recipe.

It sounds fantastic. What's not to love about a meatball with three kinds of meat, pork, beef, and veal?

They baked the meatballs in the oven and topped it off with a delicious marinara sauce.

Mac is only visiting for a short time but I hope he continues to be a guest contributor. 

This guy has talent!

Thanks Chef Mac!

                                              SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

1 1/4 pound total of Ground Pork, Beef & Veal
2 tsp. Worchestershire sauce
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

Mix meat, Worchestershire, egg, bread crumbs, cheese, garlic, salt and pepper.  Roll meat into 1 1/2 inch medium sized meatballs and place on nonstick cookie sheet.  Bake 10-12 min.

Sauce:

2 TBSP. extra virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 cup beef stock
1  28oz can crushed tomatoes
10 leaves fresh basil leaves torn or sliced
Grated cheese Parmigiano Reggiano or Romano

Heat a deep pot over moderate heat.  Add oil, crushed pepper, garlic and finely chopped onion.  Saute 5-7 min.  Add beef stock, crushed tomatoes and basil.  Bring to simmer and cook about 10 min.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Serve with crusty bread or garlic bread.

Enjoy!

Recipe from Sharon and Mac

MEATLESS MEATBALLS

My niece Brittany and I are training for the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk for the cure. We will walk 60 miles in 3 days, raising money for breast cancer research. After we walk, we cook a meal together. She is vegan, I am not, but that doesn't stop me from finding interesting and healthy recipes for us to try together.

I came across a recipe for Vegan Meatballs. It had great reviews so we gave it a try. These were really good. I can't wait to make them again. They freeze well too.

First you make the meatless balls

Then you bake them in the oven for 30 minutes. We served them over whole wheat spaghetti with a pasta sauce.

There were two skeptical carnivores eating with us so we made a meat sauce and served them a plate of 1/2 and 1/2.

The skeptivores :) liked the meatless balls too.

                                                           VEGAN MEATBALLS

1/2 cup cooked Lentils (I bought them already cooked from Trader Joe's)

1 cup cooked Brown Rice (I bought the cooked, frozen, from Trader Joe's)

1/4 cup Old Fashioned Oats

1/4 cup + 2 TBSP. Wheat Germ

2 TBSP. Soy Sauce

2 TBSP. Olive Oil

2 tsp. Lemon Juice

1/4 cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

1 tsp. Balsamic Vinegar

1/8 tsp. Nutmeg

1 Chipotle Pepper in Adobo, finely minced

1/2 tsp. Garlic Powder

1 tsp. Onion Powder

2 tsp. Molasses

2 tsp. Dry Mustard

Mix ingredients together in a bowl. Pre-heat oven to 300~. Measure out 2 TBSP. of mixture for each meatball and roll into a ball with your hands. Spray a cooking sheet with a non-stick cooking oil. Place meatballs on tray and cook in oven for 15 minutes. Roll them over and cook 15 minutes more. Remove from oven and let stand for about 10 minutes so they will firm up.

Serve over pasta with a pasta sauce.

Makes about 12-15 meatless balls.

Recipe slightly adapted from http://www.myvegancookbook.com/

SAUSAGE, CHARD AND LEMON LASAGNA

This is perfect for this time of the year. The time when Meyer Lemons and chard are abundant. Meyer Lemons are my new BF. The skin is so thin and delicious to eat. In this recipe you blanch the lemon slices for 7 minutes to remove any bitterness and then bake them on top of the lasagne. The bubbly, golden brown lasagna comes out of the oven with beautiful slices of lemons peeking out.


                                SAUSAGE, CHARD AND LEMON LASAGNA

Serves 4

3 TBSP. unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese ( about 4oz.)
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
5 cups coarsely chopped Swiss Chard ( about 1 large bunch)
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed (I used spicy sausage)
1 large Meyer lemon, very thinly sliced
6 no-boil lasagna noodles (preferably Barilla)

Melt butter in a saucepan over high heat. Stir in flour, cook for 2 minutes. Whisk in milk. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Whisk in 3/4 cup cheese, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper. Stir in chard.

Preheat oven to 350~. Cook sausage in a skillet over high heat, breaking up pieces, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

Cover lemon slices with cold water by 3 inches in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 7 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined-plate using a slotted spoon.

Spread 1/4 cup of the sauce in a 8 inch square non-reactive baking dish. Top with 2 noodles, half the sausage, and 1 cup sauce. Repeat. Top with a layer of lemons, 2 noodles, then the remaining sauce and lemons. Bake, covered with foil for 27 minutes.

Remove from oven. Heat broiler. Uncover lasagne, top with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Broil until bubbling, 2 to 3 minutes.

Recipe from Martha Stewart Living

PASTA CARBONARA

What's not to love about pasta, cheese, butter, cream, eggs, and BACON?

Crispy bacon is tossed with hot, buttered noodles, whipped egg and cream, and a whole cup of Parmesan cheese! You stir it until the heat of the pasta cooks the egg mixture. Top it with some fresh, chopped parsley and you are good to go.

You can use spaghetti or fettuccine, but I used perciatelli. They are heartier than spaghetti and work really well with the rich sauce.

I served it with steamed broccoli that I dressed with olive oil, zest of a Meyer lemon and Parmesan cheese.

And a Caesar salad.

                                                        PASTA CARBONARA
Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com.

Serves 8

1/2 pound bacon cooked until crispy (I put it on a baking sheet in a 400~ oven for about 15-20 minutes)
4 eggs, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream at room temperature
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
16 ounces dry Perciatelli, spaghetti, or fettuccine pasta
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
ground black pepper to taste

Cook bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels.

In medium bowl, beat together eggs and cream just until blended. Stir in cheese and set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan. Toss with butter until it is melted. Add bacon and cheese mixture and toss gently until mixed. Top with parsley and pepper to taste.

Be sure to add the egg, cream, and cheese mixture when the pasta is still hot so it will cook the eggs.

I save my bacon fat in a container in the freezer. It is great to have for frying eggs or pan fried potatoes.