Spaghetti Carbonara

This is not an every day dinner.

I made it for my birthday.  

(In case you're worried, don't be- The Boyfriend took me out for a proper birthday dinner as well!)

This is a really rich pasta dish made with an egg yolk sauce and some form of pork (traditionally it's made with guanciale- cured pork jowl, but that can be kind of hard to find!)  In this recipe I use cubed pancetta with excellent results.  You can also use thick sliced bacon.

I tried to make this as traditional as possible (even made my own spaghetti!)  Apparently it's some form of sin to add cream and/or peas to this dish, so you won't see them in this recipe. 

For such a rich, special dinner, it is absurdly easy to make.  

There's only one way to ruin it- when adding the eggs.  Pay close attention, stir constantly, and don't look away.  :)  The last thing you want is scramble egg carbonara, am I right?! 

Serve with a big green salad, and some crusty bread if desired.

Pasta Carbonara 

Serves 3

1 lb spaghetti (boxed or homemade)

1/2 lb pre-cubed pancetta (about 8 oz) or thick sliced quality bacon

6 eggs

2 egg yolks

1 cup freshly grated parmigiana, plus extra for serving

extra virgin olive oil

fresh pepper

parsley (for garnish) 

In a bowl, add the eggs, egg yolks, parmigiana, and about 1 tsp black pepper.  Whisk together until completely combined. Set aside.

Cook the spaghetti al dente and set aside.  In a saute pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium  heat. Add the pancetta and saute until crispy.  Once crispy, add the al dente spaghetti and stir to distribute the pancetta thouroughly (and to coat the spaghetti with pancetta fat).  Turn off the heat.  With pan still on hot stovetop, add the egg mixture and quickly begin vigorously mixing.  This is your crucial step.  Continue mixing, not allowing the egg to sit on the bottom of the pan untouched for too long.  Cook about 2 minutes, the eggs will thicken a bit and it will look like a cream sauce.  

Serve immediately, with a bit of parsley sprinkled on top and extra parmegiana cheese. 

Scalloped Potatoes

Winter Comfort Food

These scalloped potatoes are so quick and easy to prepare.  Perfect accompaniment to hearty meat entrees like pot roast, ham, turkey, and roast chicken.

The perfect accompaniment to a cold winters night, if you ask me.

If you feel daring, add some diced prosciutto, pancetta, or bacon and throw in some chives.

Scalloped Potato Gratin 

Adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe

2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/8 inch slices
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 sprigs thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 cup fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, divided in half
1/4 cup freshly grated swiss cheese
salt and pepper
butter

In a saucepan combine the cream, thyme, and garlic.  Heat until just warm, but do not boil.  Remove thyme stems.

In a bowl, combine half of Parmesan cheese with all of swiss cheese.

Preheat oven to 375.

Butter a casserole dish and layer one third of the potato slices in 4 rows so slices are overlapping.  Pour a couple spoonfuls of the warmed cream over top and sprinkle with one third of the cheese mixture.  Arrange another layer of potato slices on top, pour a bit more cream over top, and sprinkle another third of the cheese mixture over top.  Repeat with final layer, using the rest of the cream and cheese mixture. 

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes. Pour the rest of the Parmesan over top of the potatoes, and bake another 10 minutes, until top is golden brown.  Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Gougeres (Cheese Puffs)

Gougeres are a baked savory choux pastry.  In English- basically a French cheese puff.   They are traditionally served cold during wine tastings, or served warm as an appetizer.

I made them as a side for Sunday dinner- Pot Roast with Roasted Grape Tomatoes and Cremini Mushrooms, Scalloped Potatoes, Sauteed Asparagus, and of course, the Gougeres.

They'd be a nice addition to a cheese plate perhaps (yes more cheese!!).  I'd serve them in place of dinner rolls, with soup, with brunch, with breakfast.  I could go on.. 

They are crispy on the outside, with an almost hollow, fluffy interior with an undeniably cheesy taste. 

In fact they taste like Cheez-Its.

EXACTLY like cheez-its.  

I haven't decided if that's a good or bad thing yet. 

This is your basic gougere recipe, but there's endless amounts of variations you can make.  You could use different cheeses, add ingredients like chives, shallots, maybe even prosciutto?!  Maybe a sweet version could be made with the right cheese, a bit of sugar, and diced apples..

In any case, make sure your ingredients are measured and ready-to-go.  This recipe doesn't mess around, when it says add something immediately, do it immediately.  No turning your back to grate cheese here- have it ready, you'll thank me later. 

This recipe makes about 3 dozen.  Make enough that everyone can have at least 3.  You'll want extra though, as every time they walk by the platter of gougeres they'll be popping another in their mouth.

Make extra- these freeze well.  Simply let them cool completely, set them out on a baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Place in freezer and once frozen, pop the gougeres into a ziploc bag.  

Gougeres

1 cup all purpose flour

1 cup water

5 large eggs

3/4 cup freshly shredded Gruyere cheese

3/4 cup freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

6 tbsp unsalted butter, cut in small pieces

1 tsp milk

1 tsp fine sea salt

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp sweet paprika

Preheat oven to 425. Lightly butter 2 baking sheets.

In a saucepan, combine the water, butter, salt, cayenne, and paprika. Bring to a boil, allowing the butter to melt completely over medium, medium high heat.

Remove pan from heat, and immediately add the entire one cup of flour at once, beating ferociously until completely incorporated. Continue beating until mixture forms a mass in the center of pan, about 1 to 2 minutes longer.

Make a well in the dough and add one egg.  Beat ferociously again until COMPLETELY combined.  Add the next egg, again combine completely, and do the same with the 3rd and 4th eggs, making sure egg is completely combined before adding another.  The 5th egg will be used later.

Beat in the gruyere and one-third of the cheese. until melted and thoroughly blended.  

Using a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain tip, or using a Ziploc bag with a small corner cut off, pipe the dough onto the baking sheets about 1 inch in diameter and 1/2 inch high.  Leave 2 inches between each, as they will double in size.

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg with the milk.  Brush the egg mixture over the top of the gougeres gently, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.   Bake 20 minutes, or until gougeres are golden.  Remove from oven (leave oven on) and use a paring knife or other small sharp knife to cut a small slit into the side of each gougere.  Return to oven for 5 minutes to dry out the inside.  Remove from oven and cool on wire racks.  Gougers may be served warm or at room temperature.

Some other favorite recipes:
Double Orange Goat Cheese Cupcakes
Sweet Potato Croquettes