Spaghetti Carbonara

I love Carbonara if it's done right. It's a heavy dish and it should definitely not be eaten in large amounts. But it is so yummy that it's almost impossible to stop yourself:)

I have been looking for a easy but tasty carbonara for some time, and eventually I ran into Rachel Ray's recipe. It is a true recipe in the Italian comfort food style.

There are other recipes out there that also adds sauteed zucchini, or asparagus, or mushrooms. Feel free to taste them. You just have to saute them in the pan juices after you take off the pancetta. After you're done sauteing the vegetable, just take it off the pan and set it aside to add to the pasta later.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Ingredients:
1 pound pasta, such as spaghetti or rigatoni
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (enough to coat bottom of pan)
1/4 pound pancetta (Italian bacon), chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 to 6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 large egg yolks
Freshly grated Romano cheese
Handful of finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:
Put a large pot of water on to boil. Add a liberal amount of salt and the pasta. Cook to al dente, about 8 minutes. Don't throw away all of the pasta water as you will be using some of it later.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and pancetta. Brown pancetta 2 minutes. Add red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes more. Add wine and stir up all the pan drippings.

In a separate bowl, beat yolks, then add 1 large ladleful (about 1/2 cup) of the pasta cooking water. This tempers the eggs and keeps them from scrambling when added to the pasta.

Drain pasta well and add it directly to the skillet with pancetta and oil. Pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss rapidly to coat the pasta without cooking the egg.

Remove pan from heat and add a big handful of cheese, lots of pepper, and a little salt. Continue to toss and turn the pasta until it soaks up egg mixture and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes.

Garnish with parsley and extra grated Romano.

Herbed Lamb Chops with Pinot Noir Sauce

Who says you must have turkey for a Thanksgiving dinner. Actually I really don't even like turkey. Besides Thanksgiving shouldn't be about turkey, it should be about family coming together. And it shouldn't be about spending all of your time in the kitchen.

So I'm adding my basic alternative menu for Thanksgiving where lamb is the main dish. Then there is a delicious stuffing that works as a side dish, and a wonderful vegetable side dish. You can add a basic roasted potato next to them and have a complete menu.

I hope you enjoy them all:)

As for this recipe, it is from Bon Appetit. Very easy to make, although it seems complicated when you read it first. It really isn't.

If you can't find lamb riblets or stew meat, you can use low sodium beef broth.

This is one of those recipes that I haven't changed a thing:)

HERBED LAMB CHOPS WITH PINOT NOIR SAUCE

For Sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 pounds lamb neck stew meat or lamb riblets
1 pound onions, coarsely chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon herbes de Provence (I'm adding the recipe for it at the bottom)
4 1/3 cups Pinot Noir or other dry red wine
3 cups low-salt chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons all purpose flour

For Lamb:
1 cup finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh thyme
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh sage
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil, divided
3 1 1/2-pound well-trimmed 8-rib racks of lamb, preferably frenched

Directions:
For sauce:
Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add lamb and sauté until deep brown, turning occasionally, about 18 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lamb to bowl.

Add onions, carrot, garlic, and herbes de Provence to pot. Sauté until vegetables are deep brown, about 8 minutes. Add wine and broth to pot; return lamb and any accumulated juices to pot. Bring to boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered 1 1/2 hours.

Strain into large bowl, pressing on solids in strainer to release all stock. Spoon off any fat from surface of stock; return stock to same large pot. Simmer until reduced to 1 1/3 cups, about 15 minutes.

Mix butter and flour in small bowl to smooth paste.Whisk paste into stock. Simmer sauce until slightly thickened and smooth, whisking constantly, about 1 minute longer. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Transfer to small saucepan, cover, and chill. Rewarm before using.)

For lamb:
Stir fresh herbs and pepper in medium bowl to blend. Add 2 tablespoons oil and mix until herbs are sticking together. Sprinkle lamb racks with salt. Firmly press 1/3 of herb mixture over rounded side of each rack to cover. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Place on large rimmed baking sheet. Cover; chill.)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Heat 3 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 lamb rack to skillet, herbed side down. Sauté until browned, about 4 minutes. Turn rack over and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes. Place rack, herbed side up, on rimmed baking sheet. Repeat, fitting remaining racks on same sheet.

Roast lamb until thermometer inserted into center registers 135°F for medium-rare, about 25 minutes.

Let lamb rest on sheet 15 to 20 minutes. Cut lamb between bones into individual chops. Arrange 3 chops on each plate. Drizzle with sauce and serve.

Makes 8 servings

HERBS DE PROVENCE

Ingredients:
3 Tbsp dried marjoram
3 Tbsp dried thyme
3 Tbsp dried savory
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried sage
1/2 tsp fennel seeds

Directions:
Combine all ingredients. Mix well and spoon into a tightly-lidded jar. Store in a cool, dark place up to four months. Use to season chicken, vegetables or meat.

Yield: 3/4 cup

Rustic Porcini Onion Stuffing

I'm not crazy about regular stuffing, and I have been always on the lookout for a different recipe. This one is a delicious recipe that I had found at Gourmet, and have been using this stuffing ever since.

I'm adding the original recipe below, but I do have some notes of changes that I have made to it.

I always cut the vegetables to smaller sizes as I don't like them too chunky in the stuffing.

You could use breadcrumbs, but baking a good bread that you like in the oven makes a big difference. I like using baguette.

Instead of using just water, I use vegetable or chicken broth (whichever I have handy). Depending on the bread you are using the stuffing can come out dry, so sometimes you will need more liquid 4 1/2 cups. So have some more handy and add the liquid bit by bit until you get the moisture level you like.

I'm also not crazy about celery, so I omit it. But I do like wild rice, so I add 1/2 cup cooked wild rice.

And keep in mind to always use fresh herbs.

RUSTIC PORCINI ONION STUFFING

Ingredients:
1 1/2 (1-lb) Pullman or round loaves, torn into 1-inch pieces (20 cups)
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter plus additional for greasing dish
4 1/2 cups boiling-hot water
2 oz dried porcini mushrooms (sometimes called cèpes; 54 g)
10 oz fresh white mushrooms, cut into 1/2-inch wedges (3 cups)
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick
4 large shallots, quartered
2 celery ribs, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 medium carrots, halved lengthwise, then sliced crosswise 1/4 inch thick
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Put oven racks in upper and lower thirds of oven and preheat oven to 350°F.

Spread bread in 2 large shallow baking pans and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, stirring occasionally and switching position of pans halfway through baking, until dry, 20 to 25 minutes total. Transfer bread to a large bowl.

Increase oven temperature to 450°F and butter a 13- by 9-inch baking dish (3-quart capacity).

Pour boiling-hot water over porcini and soak 20 minutes, then drain in a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, squeezing porcini and reserving soaking liquid.

Rinse porcini under cold water to remove any grit, then squeeze out excess water and coarsely chop.

While porcini soak, heat butter (1 stick) in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then cook white mushrooms, onion, and shallots, stirring occasionally, until golden, 15 to 20 minutes.

Add celery, carrots, garlic, and porcini and cook, stirring, 5 minutes. Stir in thyme, sage, parsley, salt, and pepper, then add vegetables to bread, tossing to combine.

Add 1 cup reserved porcini-soaking liquid to skillet and deglaze by boiling over high heat, stirring and scraping up brown bits, 1 minute.

Add remaining soaking liquid and salt and pepper to taste and pour over bread mixture, tossing to coat evenly. Spread stuffing in baking dish and cover tightly with buttered foil (buttered side down), then bake in upper third of oven until heated through, about 20 minutes.

Remove foil and bake stuffing until top is browned, 10 to 15 minutes more.

Notes:
• Stuffing can be assembled (but not baked) 2 days ahead and chilled, covered.
• Stuffing can be baked 6 hours ahead and kept, uncovered, at room temperature. Reheat, uncovered, in a 350°F oven until hot, about 30 minutes (test center with a wooden pick for warmth).

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Brussel Sprouts with White Beans and Pecorino

Before I tried this recipe I didn't even like brussel sprouts. But something about the picture looked good to me so I decided to try it. And am I glad I tried it.

This recipe is from Bon Appetit, and it makes a great Thanksgiving side dish (or any other time:) ).

There was a note about the cheese which is very true. A coarse grating of pecorino cheese adds a little creaminess and tang to this dish, but it's equally delicious without it.

You end up using a lot of oil and butter, but to me that's what gives it the great taste. But if you want to you can adjust it, and use more broth to keep it moist, but don't use too much, otherwise you will have a hard time to make it into a glaze. Try to use low sodium broth otherwise you might end up with a too salty taste.

Another way to use less oil can be roasting the brussel sprouts instead of sauteing them. Brush them with oil and roast them in a 450 degree oven for about 15 minutes.

BRUSSEL SPROUTS WITH WHITE BEANS AND PECORINO

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed, cut in half lengthwise
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney beans), drained
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
1 cup (about 4 ounces) coarsely grated young pecorino (such as a young Pecorino Toscano)

Directions:
Heat 3 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over high heat. When just about to smoke, add half of brussels sprouts. Cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to large bowl. Heat 3 tablespoons oil in same skillet. Add remaining brussels sprouts, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook until brown, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer brussels sprouts to same bowl.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to skillet; increase heat to high. Add garlic; sauté until brown, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add broth and brussels sprouts. Cook until brussels sprouts are crisp-tender, stirring frequently, about 3 minutes. Add beans and butter; stir until butter melts and broth is reduced to glaze, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese.

Makes 8 servings.