Pancetta, Peas, Orecchiette Pasta and Cream Sauce! Perfect For A Busy Monday

Oh look, it's Monday - again.  Monday, Monday, can't trust that day --  why oh why is Monday such a chore?  Somehow, it just can be and I have been a busy bee today.  I do hope you all had a fantastic weekend, we sure did.  The weather is amazing right now, more like summer than spring.  It was 80 today here in Nashville.  The blooming trees are stunning and the grass is growing like crazy.  Dan had to mow our yard for the second time already.  And, today was grocery shopping day which is lots of fun when I get to go to Trader Joe's even though we have to drive to the other side of town!  You may not think of grocery shopping as fun, but I rather enjoy finding new products that I want to try, especially when I have a specific recipe in mind and today I did.

Since it was so warm today, I didn't want anything heavy for dinner.  I wanted something light and refreshing and summer like.  There is a Jamie Oliver recipe I have been wanting to try that I had pinned on Pinterest.  There is another very similar one from Huffington post that I had also pinned.  So, I kind of combined the two and let me tell you, it is so delicious.  We will definitely be having this again and again.  And, the most important point thing, it is really quick and easy to put together which makes it a natural for Monday (or any day really).

The Jamie Oliver recipe uses mini shell pasta and bacon and the Huffington post recipe used orecchiette pasta which is kind of cup or bell shaped.  When I was at Trader Joe's today, they had orecchiette so I went with it and I am so glad I did.  It is a really nice chewy pasta that held the sauce beautifully.

Trader Joe's also had cubed pancetta in 4 ounce packages which was just perfect for this recipe.  Otherwise, you have to cut bacon into lardons for the Jamie Oliver recipe and the pancetta had just the right flavor for this creamy sauce, not too smoky like bacon can be.  It's just a matter of which you have on hand.  And, it has green peas which is one of our favorite veggies.  Yum.  So, you have pasta, pancetta, green peas and one of the tastiest cream sauces I have ever eaten.

This recipe only took about 20 minutes to put together which makes it a fantastic Monday recipe.  It also makes a large pan full and that means leftovers for lunches or another dinner for us.  Yay!  It says it serves 4, but those would be huge servings.  You may not have as much left as we had.  We enjoyed the pasta with a simple green salad and crusty bread and it was just right as Goldilocks would say.  Here is what you need to make this recipe:

Ingredients:

1 pound shaped pasta - mini shells or orecchiette
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Butter
1 4 ounce package cubed pancetta or 10 slices bacon cut into lardons
2 cups frozen green peas
2 heaping TBSP sour cream
1 small bunch fresh mint, stems removed and minced (I don't care for mint, so I used fresh thyme)
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
fresh cracked black pepper

Cook the pasta according to directions.  I made the sauce while the pasta cooked.  This is how you make it.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a large saute pan.  Add the pancetta (or bacon) and cook until crispy and brown, about 5 minutes.  I added a lot of fresh cracked black pepper while the pancetta cooked.  Add the frozen peas to the pan and cook just a bit until they start to thaw, then add the sour cream and herbs.  Stir until everything is coated.  (I added 2 ladles of starchy pasta water to the sauce before I drained the pasta).  Drain the pasta and return it to the pan.  Add the sauce to the pasta, squeeze the lemon juice over the pasta and stir to coat all the pasta.  Add the parmesan cheese and stir again to coat all the pasta, stirring until all the cheese is melted and creamy.  That's it - done!  Ready to serve.  Look at how this fabulous creamy sauce coats the pasta.  Yummm.

When you have had a really busy or tough day and need something quick and easy to put on the table, this is your dish!  It is inexpensive and super D-licious.  This is also a meal that kids would love - pasta, peas, bacon, creamy sauce!!!  Jamie Oliver said he makes this for his children all the time.    Give this recipe a try.  It is perfect for warm weather!  I am already looking forward to left overs tomorrow.  That makes Tuesday an easy day for me.  Wahoo!

Everyday Donna

Things to remember:

 A bee is never as busy as it seems; it's just that it can't buzz any slower.
Kin Hubbard

This Baked Pasta Recipe May Knock Your Socks Off!

We have been working feverishly getting the little yellow cottage ready for Christmas.  So much decorating to do!  Last night I was tired and wanted something easy to fix for dinner.  I decided to try this recipe I found on Pinterest last week because, well, it sounded yummy.

The recipe is for baked spaghetti, but I am not a big fan of spaghetti.  I like heartier pastas that grab the sauce and have some "chew" to them.  I had penne, so that is what I chose to use.  If you want to use spaghetti, feel free to do so.

Here is what you need.

12 ounces pasta, cooked according to directions

1 pound ground beef

one medium onion, diced

one clove garlic minced

1 jar of your favorite marinara sauce

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (I grate fresh, prefer it to canned)

1 8 oz block of cream cheese

salt and pepper

I added these two ingredients

a couple pinches of red pepper flakes

mozzarella cheese for the top of the casserole

Cook your pasta according to directions.  Brown the ground beef, onion, and garlic.  Salt and pepper to taste.  When beef is browned, drain.  Add the jar of marinara sauce and heat.  Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to sauce when it is bubbling until cheese melts.  Add parmesan cheese and stir to mix.  Spray a 9x13 casserole with cooking spray.  Place drained pasta in casserole dish.  Cover with marinara sauce and stir to mix well.  Grate some parmesan over top of casserole and add mozzarella.  Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Oh my goodness good!

We had this quick and easy baked pasta with a green salad and crusty bread.   Our youngest son joined us for dinner and he and Dan agreed this was one of the best pasta dishes they had ever eaten.  Yes, it is fantastically good.  The cream cheese makes the sauce creamy and delicious and causes the sauce to adhere to the pasta in a wonderfully delicious way.

Give this recipe a try the next time you want something quick and easy.  You will make it again.  I know I am going to!  Enjoy,

Everyday Donna

Things to Remember:

 “Life is a combination of magic and pasta.” ~ Fellini