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Creamy Lobster Pasta

August 12, 2021 Feast of the Seven Fishes

Creamy Tomato and Lobster Pasta

Creamy Lobster Pasta

This Creamy Tomato and Lobster Pasta is summery, fresh, decadent and rich all at the same time! And the best part? It could not be easier to make.

I think when people hear the word "lobster" they immediately think the recipe is going to be difficult, but that's not the case here! This recipe uses pre-cooked lobster that gets tossed with the pasta at the end, just to warm through and not overcook. It's easy, fast and SO tasty! Read through the post for recipe tips and tricks!

Creamy Lobster Pasta

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

I have no problem with using a good shortcut in cooking, especially if that shortcut is going to get you to eat more lobster! If cooking lobster for yourself is keeping you from eating lobster, you absolutely should feel fine about buying it cooked. Ain't no shame in that game. I like to make sure I buy good quality lobster though! Just because it's easier, doesn't mean it should be of lesser quality. I've purchased lobster from Dirk's Fish here in Chicago many times and it's always been great. I've also been known to stock up on frozen Luke's Lobster whenever I find it, and a few grocery stores that I frequent carry it on the reg.

Creamy Lobster Pasta

Once you've gotten your mitts on some lobster, it's time to get shakin' on this pasta. And that will take you, oh 25 minutes? Yep! This is a quick one. Don't worry though, that's still plenty of time to build lots of flavor.

I purposefully left the cherry tomatoes whole in this recipe instead of halving them. Leaving them whole will give the outsides of the tomatoes a chance to caramelize a bit while they heat up and burst open, pouring out all their juices. Did I mention this recipe is best made in the summer? We're putting a lot of flavor trust in these tomatoes, and while you can buy cherry tomatoes year round, and I do, they're undoubtedly best during tomato season.

Creamy Lobster Pasta

Next up we've got garlic, because duh, followed by a little brandy! There's an ingredient you might not have been expecting. Actually, brandy and lobster are old pals and brandy is used in a lot of lobster dishes. The brandy adds a richer flavor than wine does and a slight sweetness. If you don't have any brandy laying around and don't want to buy it specifically for this recipe, I understand. You can sub in white wine instead, just promise you'll make the brandy version one day! Trust me, it's worth it! When you deglaze the pan with the brandy, you'll scrape up all the brown bits on the bottom of the pan—that's all that delicious caramelized tomato flavor!

Creamy Lobster Pasta

After the brandy, you'll add the cream. I don't actually make creamy pasta dishes that often but since this is quite a decadent dish, it seemed like the right move. I was right! I don't know what kind of sorcery is at work here, but I'm telling you, this pasta manages to be rich and light at the same damn time. Simmer the cream with the tomatoes for a couple of minutes to meld the flavors, and you've got yourself a damn good sauce. But wait, there's more! You'll add the cooked pasta to the sauce pan along with a bit of pasta water, per usual, and here's the important part: more butter. Yes, the sauce kicks off with some butter and comes full circle with another good chunk at the end. This is when you finally add the cooked lobster and toss the whole thing together. The creamy tomatoes, butter, and starchy pasta water will create a glossy sauce and you'll just need to give it a good toss so that each strand of pasta is coated in sauce and the lobster is warmed through.

Creamy Lobster Pasta

Quickly plate up and serve before you eat all of the lobster straight out of the pan (speaking from experience) and enjoy with some fresh summer herbs!

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  • Shrimp Fra Diavolo with Pasta
  • Squid Ink Pasta with Soft Shell Crab and Tomatoes
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  • Ultimate Spaghetti with Clams
Creamy Lobster Pasta

Creamy Tomato and Lobster Pasta

This Creamy Tomato and Lobster Pasta is summery, fresh, decadent and rich all at the same time! And the best part? It could not be easier to make.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

  • 1 Pound Mafaldine or other long pasta
  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Pound cherry tomatoes
  • 2 Large cloves garlic minced
  • ¼-1/2 Teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
  • ¼ Cup brandy
  • ½ Cup heavy cream
  • ¾-1 Pound cooked lobster meat cut into chunks
  • kosher salt
  • Fresh parsley roughly chopped
  • Fresh basil torn

Instructions
 

  • Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter and the olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Add the cherry tomatoes and season with salt and red pepper flakes. Let them cook, stirring occasionally, until they burst and release their juices; about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the brandy and stir, scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Stir in the cream and lower the heat to medium. Simmer the sauce for 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta to one minute shy of al dente. Reserve one cup of the pasta water and drain. Add the pasta to the sauce pan along with the remaining butter and toss to coat, adding splashes of pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Add the lobster to the pasta and toss until incorporated and warmed through. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
  • Serve immediately with plenty of fresh herbs. Enjoy!
Keyword Creamy pasta, Lobster, Pasta, Seafood pasta
Esquites

August 6, 2021 Recipes

Elote in a Bowl (Esquites)

Esquites

You've likely heard of Elotes before, but have you heard of Esquites? Well, they're almost the same thing! Elotes is the name for Mexican street corn on the cob which are grilled, and then dipped in mayo, cotija cheese and other delicious toppings. Esquites is the name used for the same corn and toppings, but served in a bowl, off the cob. Basically, the salad version of Elotes.

You can use frozen corn for this recipe if that's what is available to you, but it's much better with fresh, summer corn. That's why I love making this recipe in the summer!

I like using avocado oil for this recipe, but you can use any other neutral oil that has a high smoke point. Don't use olive oil for this one! To get the best char on the corn, I prefer to use my cast iron pan.

Esquites

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

This makes the best side (or burger topping!!) for a barbecue and it's so easy to make! After you've cooked the corn, all you have to do is mix the corn with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. Can't get much easier than that! You can also easily this recipe to your liking. If you want it more limey, add more lime! Spicier? add some jalapeño and more chili powder! One thing I always like to do before serving is garnish the bowl with a little more cheese, chili powder and some green onions. It looks so pretty!

This recipe was inspired by traditional Mexican street corn, but with my spin. I hope you love it!

You might also like

  • Mini Green Chile Chicken Quesadillas
  • Elote Burgers
  • Cherry Chicken Tacos
  • Mexican Shredded Chicken Dip

Elote in a Bowl (Esquites)

Print Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 15 mins
Course Side Dish
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 3 Cups fresh corn kernels (from about 4 ears of corn)
  • 1 Tablespoon avocado oil
  • kosher salt to taste
  • ½ Cup mayonnaise
  • 1 4 Ounce can green chiles
  • 3 Tablespoons cotija cheese
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice
  • ¼ Teaspoon Ancho chili powder
  • 2 Green onions green parts only, thinly sliced
  • Fresh Cilantro roughly chopped (optional)
  • Jalapeño finely minced (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Heat the avocado oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Add the corn, season with salt, and cook until softened and well charred; about 10 minutes.
  • Transfer the corn to a large mixing bowl and add the mayo, green chiles, cheese, lime juice, green onions and chili powder. Stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
  • Serve right away and enjoy!
Keyword Elotes, Esquites, Mexican Street Corn, Summer Corn
Baba Ganoush with Pita

July 12, 2021 Appetizers

Easy Baba Ganoush

Baba Ganoush

Creamy, Smoky, delicious. Baba Ganuosh is super easy to make at home—what are you waiting for? I've been on a pretty big Baba Ganoush kick lately. As if I need another reason to be thinking about Vince Vaugh. Wait what?!

Okay, so Baba Ganoush reminds me of Vince Vaugh because of the movie Wedding Crashers. Wedding Crashers seems to have made quite an impact on my life (and food!) because my mind also goes directly to that movie when eating crab cakes or meatloaf. I hope I'm not alone in this. Anyway, to sum things up: 1. Wedding Crashers is still one of the greatest movies of all time, 2. Yes, I have a crush on Vince Vaugh, and 3. This Baba Ganoush is freaking delicious.

Baba Ganoush with Pita

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

So what is Baba Ganoush, anyway? Baba Ganoush (also spelled Baba Ganouj) is a dip or spread made from eggplants and tahini. Traditionally, the eggplant would be roasted over an open flame, but for our home cooking purposes, we'll roast it in the oven! The roasted eggplant then gets blended with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, a little olive oil and some spices.

There is some debate about where Baba Ganoush originated, but the short answer is: somewhere in the middle east! Counrties like Lebanon, Turkey, Egypt (and many more) have their own versions of this dish.

Baba Ganoush with Pita

Because we're roasting the eggplants in the oven, instead of an open flame, you'll miss some of that smokiness that a traditional Baba Ganoush would have. Enter: smoked paprika. Smoked paprika may not be traditional, but it adds a subtle smokiness that I love! I also love using sumac in this recipe. Sumac is a spice that's used in a lot of middle eastern and Mediterranean cooking that has a lemony flavor. You'll often see ground sumac sprinkled over hummus or, you guessed it, Baba Ganoush! You should be able to find both smoked paprika and ground sumac at most grocery stores these days.

Baba Ganoush with Pita

After blending up all the main ingredients, I like to chill the Baba Ganoush in the fridge for about an hour to make sure all the flavors have had time to hang out and meld. Then, when you're ready to eat, drizzle olive oil over the top and garnish with lemon zest, fresh parsley, and a pinch of sumac and flaky sea salt. Serve with warm pita bread!

This recipe tastes best while watching Wedding Crashers.

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  • Mexican Shredded Chicken Dip
  • The Best Smoked Trout Dip
  • The Best Tzatziki Sauce
  • Green Dip
Baba Ganoush with Pita

Easy Baba Ganoush

This Baba Ganoush is creamy, smoky, delicious and super easy to make at home.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Appetizer

Ingredients
  

For the Baba Ganoush

  • 2 Medium eggplants cut in half longways
  • 4 Teaspoons olive oil divided
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 Tablespoons tahini
  • ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ Teaspoon sumac
  • ¼ Teaspoon smoked paprika

For serving

  • Olive oil
  • Lemon zest
  • Sumac
  • Flaky sea salt such as Maldon
  • Fresh parsley roughly chopped
  • Warm pita

Instructions
 

  • Pre heat oven to 400 degrees and prepare a parchment lined baking sheet. Rub the eggplants with half of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Roast the eggplants, skin side up, for 30 minutes.
  • Let the eggplant cool a bit and then scrape out the flesh with a spoon. Discard the skins.
  • Add the eggplant, lemon juice, tahini, remaining olive oil, salt, sumac and smoked paprika to a food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Transfer the Baba Ganoush to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
  • Drizzle olive oil over the top and garnish with lemon zest, fresh parsley, and a pinch of sumac and flaky sea salt. Serve with warm pita bread.
  • Enjoy with your date, Vince Vaughn.
Keyword Baba Ganouj, Baba Ganoush, Dips
Old Bay Soft Shell Crab Burger

June 25, 2021 Burgers

Old Bay Soft Shell Crab Burger

Old Bay Soft Shell Crab Burger

I know you're thinking I'm crazy for this one, but you know what, I think it's crazy that more people aren't putting soft shell crabs on their burgers! I'm here to rectify the situation.

Soft shell crabs are crabs who have shed their hard shells or "molted" and are caught before being able to grow a new one. This means that the entire crab, shell and all, is soft and edible. Soft shell crab season is usually from March to September, depending on where you live. If love seafood, you must try soft shell crabs!

Old Bay Soft Shell Crab Burger

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

Every year when my favorite seafood shop gets softies in, a buy a few for my tried and true recipes, and a few to test out some new recipe ideas. I already have a recipe for a soft shell crab burger, but I wanted to do a more traditional one using Old Bay seasoning. It's no secret that crabs and Old Bay go perfectly together!

This burger has all the standard toppings—American cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickle—but it's also got a special sauce with plenty of Old Bay to compliment the crab. You can cook your burger patties on the grill or in a cast iron pan. The crabs get dredged in Old Bay spiked flour and then pan fried. Load it all up on a soft potato roll and dig in! Grab a few napkins though, this is a messy one.

Old Bay Soft Shell Crab Burger

Enjoy soft shell crab season!

*Note: When buying soft shell crabs, make sure they are alive right up until your fishmonger cleans them. You want them to be as fresh as possible! You can clean them yourself if you like, but I prefer to let them do it for me and then cook the crabs right away when I get home. If you plan on cleaning the crabs yourself, it's very easy! You will need to snip off the face right behind the eyes, remove the gills, and remove the apron. This is a great resource!

*Note: Because they're wet, soft shell crabs have a tendency to to "spit" and pop when added to hot oil. A splatter screen is your friend!

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  • Double Smash Burgers with Sauce
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Old Bay Soft Shell Crab Burger

Old Bay Soft Shell Crab Burger

Juicy burgers topped with crispy soft shell crabs make the ultimate surf and turf burger!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

For the sauce

  • 3 Tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 2 Tablespoons ketchup
  • 1 Tablespoon yellow mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon sweet relish
  • 1 Teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

For the crabs

  • ⅓ Cup all purpose flour
  • 1 Teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 Soft shell crabs cleaned

For the burgers

  • ½ Pound ground beef (80/20 or 85/15)
  • Kosher salt
  • 2 Slices American cheese
  • Lettuce
  • Tomato
  • Pickles
  • 2 Potato rolls
Keyword Burger, cheeseburger, Soft Shell Crab, Surf n Turf
Cheesesteak Burger

June 11, 2021 Burgers

(Not Philly) Cheesesteak Smash Burgers

Cheesesteak Burger

I am purposefully NOT calling these "Philly Cheesesteak Smash Burgers" because I know there are no bell peppers in an authentic Philly Cheesesteak. I am not claiming this burger has anything to do with an authentic Philly Cheesesteak. Just want to clear this up straight away. This is just a damn good, cheesesteak inspired burger and the peppers make the whole thing. Don't yell at me!

Anyway, back to the burger. Whenever people talk about cheesesteaks, I hear three cheeses mentioned: cheese wiz, provolone, and American cheese. I didn't want to go the cheese wiz route for these burgs and I couldn't decide between American and provolone so... I did both! One patty gets topped with white American, the other with provolone. Trust me, it was the right decision.

Cheesesteak Burgers

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

These burgers are super easy to make and pretty fast as well. The only real time spent is on the peppers—they take about 15-20 minutes. The good news is, the peppers can be made ahead of time and just re-heated when it's time for burgers! I'm a big fan of meal prepping sautéed peppers and onions anyway. I add them to pretty much everything. These peppers are even more delicious than your standard sauté because they've got garlic, oregano, Worcestershire and a touch of red wine vinegar to amp up the flavor. I like to chop up some pickled hot cherry peppers and add them to the mix sometimes, but that's totally optional. Up to you!

Cheesesteak Burger

I like using ground chuck (80/20) for smash burgers but you can use whatever you like best. Just make sure you don't go toooo lean. We need the fat for flavor! This recipe uses 2 pounds of ground beef to make 4 burgers, each with 2 patties. Before hitting the griddle, you'll divide the meat into portions and roll them (just a bit!) to make loose balls. LOL loose balls. Since you're making smash burgers, you don't need to form them into patties.

(Not Philly) Cheesesteak Smash Burgers

When it's time to cook, you'll place the balls on the very hot griddle, leaving enough space for them to spread out when you smash them, and then press down hard until you've got patties that are ½ inch thick. I use a cast iron grill press to smash the burgers but you can use two sturdy spatulas instead. If you plan on making smash burgers on the reg (and I think you should), you might want to invest in a press! It's much easier and you don't run the risk of bending your spatulas. Been there. I'll link a few options below!

Cheesesteak Burger

Honestly, other than making the peppers and getting the hang of making the burger patties, there's really nothing to these cheesesteak burgers! They're super easy, super tasty, and a fun departure from your standard burger. Just don't call them Philly Cheesesteak Burgers.

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  • Double Smash Burgers with Sauce
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Cheesesteak Burger

(Not Philly) Cheesesteak Smash Burgers

These cheesesteak inspired burgers are packed with flavor and easy to make.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 35 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine American
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

For the Burgers

  • 2 Pounds ground beef (80/20 or 85/15), divided into 8 portions
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter divided
  • 8 Slices Provolone cheese
  • 8 Slices White American cheese
  • 4 Buns

For the vegetables

  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Green bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 Red bell pepper thinly sliced
  • 1 Yellow onion thinly sliced
  • 1 Teaspoon dried oregano
  • ½ Teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ Teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 Cloves garlic minced
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 Teaspoons red wine vinegar
  • ¼ Cup jarred hot cherry peppers, drained and roughly chopped (optional)

Instructions
 

  • Make the peppers. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium. Add the peppers, onions, oregano, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened; 10-15 minutes. Add the garlic, Worcestershire and red wine vinegar. Stir, and cook for 3 more minutes until well combined. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking.
  • Heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over medium high heat until very hot; 3-5 minutes. Brush the skillet with half of the butter and add two portions (or however many you can fit without crowding) of the beef. With two spatulas or a grill press, smash the beef down into ½ inch thick patties, season with salt, and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the patties, top one patty with American cheese and the other with provolone and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Repeat with the remaining butter, beef and cheese.
  • Lightly toast the buns on the griddle.
  • To assemble, stack two patties on the bun, one with provolone and one with American cheese. Top with the peppers and onions.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword Burger, cheeseburger, cheesesteak
Smoked Fish Snap Pea Pasta Salad

June 4, 2021 Easter

Smoked Trout and Snap Pea Pasta Salad

Smoked Fish Snap Pea Pasta Salad

If you want a fun new take on a pasta salad—this is your dish! Crisp sugar snap peas, smoked trout and farfalle pasta all tossed with a creamy and light dressing. This pasta salad is a great side dish for barbecues and picnics, or an easy lunch!

If you're hesitant about the flavor combos- don't be! The sweetness of the peas goes perfectly with the smokiness from the fish and then a creamy dressing ties everything together. Pile on the fresh dill and green onions for tons of extra flavor!

Smoked Fish Snap Pea Pasta Salad

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

I love using smoked trout for this recipe, but you can use smoked salmon instead if you prefer. Make sure it's hot smoked salmon instead of cold smoked. You want the consistency of flaked fish that you get from hot smoked, not the consistency of lox.

If you can't find snap peas, you can use english peas or snow peas instead. You could even sub asparagus if you're not into peas! It won't exactly be the same flavors, but still great. Honestly, I think it'd be hard to mess this pasta up!

Smoked Fish Snap Pea Pasta Salad

One of the best things about this recipe is how easy it is! The peas get cooked in the same pot as the pasta so you won't have to use an extra pan. All you'll really have to do is make the dressing and flake some fish!

Normally, I would never tell you to rinse your pasta, but for this pasta salad you want to make sure to cool down the pasta and the peas quickly so that they don't over cook. Rinsing the pasta under very cold water is almost the same as an ice bath in this situation! Rinse the pasta until it's cooled and then drain it very well. Then you'll toss it with a little olive oil so that it doesn't stick together. Add the trout and dressing and garnish with fresh dill, scallions and a good pinch of flaky sea salt. That's it! You can eat the pasta right away or chill it for a bit if you prefer.

Smoked Fish Snap Pea Pasta Salad

Switch things up and bring this pasta salad to your next get together!

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Smoked Fish Snap Pea Pasta Salad

Smoked Trout and Snap Pea Pasta Salad

Crisp sugar snap peas, smoked trout and farfalle pasta all tossed with a creamy and light dressing. This pasta salad is a great side dish for barbecues and picnics, or an easy lunch!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 12 mins
Total Time 22 mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

For the pasta

  • ¾ Pound farfalle pasta
  • 8 Ounces sugar snap peas
  • 8 Ounces smoked trout (or other hot smoked fish), flaked
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • Fresh dill roughly chopped
  • Scallions light green and green parts, thinly sliced
  • Flaky sea salt such as Maldon

For the dressing

  • ½ Cup olive oil
  • 1 Clove garlic finely minced
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3 Tablespoons sour cream
  • 1 Tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 1 Tablespoon fresh dill minced
  • 1 Teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 Teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ Teaspoon black pepper
  • ½ Teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions
 

  • Whisk all of the ingredients for the dressing together and refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Add the snap peas to the pasta water 2 minutes before the pasta is done. Drain and rinse the pasta and peas under very cold water until completely cooled. Transfer to a large bowl, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and toss to coat. Add the flaked trout (or other smoked fish) and the dressing and toss again.
  • Taste and season with flaky sea salt and garnish with fresh dill and scallions. Serve cold or at room temperature.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword pasta salad, Seafood pasta, smoked trout, spring recipes
Bucatini alla Carbonara

April 6, 2021 Classic Italian

Authentic Bucatini Alla Carbonara

Bucatini alla Carbonara

This Bucatini alla Carbonara is rich, creamy (but don't add cream!!) and super slurpable. If you've never made carbonara at home, it's time to change that! Read through the post for tips on how to make the best, and easiest Bucatini alla Carbonara!

Carbonara originated in the Lazio region of Italy, where Rome is. Rome is known for it’s four pastas: carbonara, amatriciana, cacio e pepe and gricia. Of the four, carbonara is most similar to gricia. In fact, gricia is pretty much just an eggless carbonara! All four pastas are delicious and easy to make—it's all about technique!

Bucatini alla Carbonara

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

So what's in an authentic carbonara? Traditionally, carbonara includes just guanciale, egg, Pecorino Romano, and pepper. No cream, no garlic! With those being the base ingredients that everyone can agree on, there are still slight variations within Italy that count as authentic. These variations mostly have to do with the eggs (whole eggs or just yolks), the cheese (Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino or just Pecorino), and the pasta shape (spaghetti, rigatoni or bucatini). So this is the way that I like to make it! Authentic, easy to make and super flavorful.

Bucatini alla Carbonara

Because there are so few ingredients in carbonara, it's important to use the best quality ingredients you can find. Make sure to check your local Italian markets for guanciale (cured pork jowl), but if you can't find it, pancetta will work instead. For the cheese, you'll need the real deal! Look for Parmigiano Reggiano and Pecorino Romano, not parmesan and romano. If you find Locatelli Pecorino, buy it!! The eggs should be good quality and fresh. The pepper needs to be freshly cracked, not pre-ground.

Geez, this pasta is sounding like a snob. I promise, the good quality ingredients are worth it!

Cheeses for Carbonara

Carbonara is all about technique. There are a few things that can go wrong, mostly where the eggs are concerned, so having the right technique is key. Carbonara is made with raw eggs, but the heat from the pasta cooks the eggs enough so that they're not reeeaaally raw when you eat them. The pasta heat, pasta water, and cheese will all help the eggs turn into a delicious, silky sauce. But! If you add the eggs to the pan when it's too hot, they'll scramble. We want to avoid scrambled eggs pasta. No thank you to that.

Bucatini alla Carbonara

There are a couple important things to do to make sure the eggs don't scramble. First, start with room temperature eggs. If you use cold eggs straight from the refrigerator, the shock from the heat will scramble them. If you forgot to take your eggs out of the refrigerator before hand, that's okay! Just fill a bowl with warm water and let the eggs sit in there while you slice your guanciale and get your pasta water boiling.

Second, temper the eggs. Add a little pasta water (a few tablespoons) to the egg mixture before adding it to the pan. This will bring the eggs closer to the temperature of the pan, and avoid that egg shock scramble.

Finally, take the pan off the heat for 30 seconds before adding the eggs, and start to mix right away! Add pasta water in small splashes to loosen the sauce.

Guanciale

I hope those tips didn't make this seem complicated—it's really not! Here's the gist of what you'll do: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil, slice your guanciale, warm your eggs in water if they're not already room temperature, grate your cheese and make your egg mixture. For the egg mixture, you'll just mix 1 whole egg and 3 egg yolks in a bowl with a cup of cheese and a generous pinch of cracked pepper.

Then cook the guanciale. I like to start the guanciale in a cold pan and bring it up to heat slowly to make sure the fat renders out well.  If you fry the guanciale too hard, there won't be enough time to render enough fat for the sauce. See all that beautiful, crispy guanciale in that delicious fat?! We need that fat for the sauce. If you're using pancetta, you'll need to add a bit of olive oil since it doesn't have as much fat as guanciale.

Boil the pasta to just shy of al dente and transfer it to the pan with the guanciale. Toss the bucatini so that each strand is coated in the guanciale fat, then add a bit of pasta water to the pan, toss and turn the heat off. Now comes, the fun part—the eggs! Make sure your pan has been off the heat for 30 seconds and then drizzle the egg mixture in, tossing with the pasta immediately. Keep tossing the pasta and adding small splashes of pasta water as needed until you have a silky, glossy, golden sauce. Taste and season with salt (you won't need much!) and more pepper. Serve it up!

Bucatini alla Carbonara

Once you get the hang of making carbonara at home, you'll want to make it all the time. So go on, prosper, and become a carbonara making pro!

For liability reasons, I feel like I should mention that the amount shown on that plate is like 3 servings.

You might also like

  • Bucatini all'Amatriciana
  • Pasta alla Gricia
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  • Anchovy Carbonara
Bucatini alla Carbonara

Authentic Bucatini Alla Carbonara

If you’ve never made carbonara at home, it’s time to change that!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 4-5 Ounces guanciale cut into strips
  • 1 Whole egg and 3 egg yolks at room temperature
  • ¾ Cup Pecorino Romano grated
  • ¼ Cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
  • ¾ Pound Bucatini
  • Freshly cracked black pepper
  • kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water.
  • In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, cheese, and a generous pinch of pepper.
  • Add the guanciale to a large, cold skillet. Turn the heat to medium low and cook the guanciale until the fat has rendered and it's starting to crisp; 10-15 minutes. Turn the heat off until the pasta is ready. Turn the heat back on to medium and transfer the pasta directly to the pan, reserving the pasta water. Toss the pasta with the guanciale, making sure to coat each strand in the rendered fat. Add a splash of pasta water and keep tossing for 1-2 minutes.
  • Turn the heat off and wait 30 seconds. Add a couple tablespoons of pasta water to the egg mixture, stir, and then pour the egg mixture into the pan. Begin tossing the pasta with the eggs immediately, adding small splashes of pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce. Keep tossing until a glossy sauce forms. Taste and add salt if needed and more pepper. Serve with more cheese.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword carbonara, Italian food, Pasta
Corned Beef Sliders

March 18, 2021 Game Day

Corned Beef and Hash Brown Sliders

Corned Beef Sliders

I have a very important announcement to make: There are hash browns inside of these sliders! Yep, hash browns. Crispy hash browns. That is all. Carry on.

Well, actually that is not all, because I have a few more things to say about these Corned Beef and Hash Brown Sliders! These sliders are perfect for using up leftover corned beef after St. Patrick's Day, but of course, can be made year round. They're the perfect party food and your guests will love the unexpected addition of the hash browns! I mean who wouldn't love a surprise hash brown? Nobody I want to know.

Corned Beef Sliders

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

The best part about these sliders is that they are SO easy to make with store bought ingredients. You'll use a package of slider rolls, either leftover corned beef or just grab some from the deli, deli cheese, sauerkraut and frozen hash browns. The only thing you'll have to make yourself is the Russian dressing, but of course, even that's easy to make! Just mix some ingredients that you probably already own in a bowl. Done.

Assembling these sliders is, as I'm sure you've guessed, super easy. Let me give you a quick visual rundown:

Corned Beef Sliders
Corned Beef Sliders
Corned Beef Sliders

After you've assembled the sliders, all you have to do is bake them for about 10 minutes and they're ready to go! These are best enjoyed hot out of the oven, but I'd be lying if I said they didn't make for some gooood leftovers. Speaking of leftovers, you might have a bit of Russian dressing leftover after making these. Good news! It makes an excellent dipping sauce.

I tend to make these sliders around St. Patrick's Day, but I think they need to be made more often!

You might also like

  • Classic Reuben Sandwich
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Corned Beef Sliders

Corned Beef and Hash Brown Sliders

These sliders are perfect for using up leftover corned beef after St. Patrick’s Day, but of course, can be made year round. They’re the perfect party food and your guests will love the unexpected addition of the hash browns!
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 30 mins
Total Time 45 mins
Course Appetizer

Ingredients
  

For the Russian dressing

  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ Cup ketchup
  • 2 Tablespoons minced yellow onion
  • Tablespoon chopped dill pickle or cornichon (optional)
  • 1 Teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • ½-1 Teaspoon hot sauce to taste
  • ½ Teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the sliders

  • 1 (12 Count) Package slider rolls
  • 5-6 Frozen hash brown patties
  • ¾ Pound corned beef
  • ½ Pound Swiss cheese
  • Sauerkraut

For the butter topping

  • 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
  • ½ Teaspoon caraway seeds
  • ½ Teaspoon dried minced onion
  • ¼ Teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions
 

  • Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing together. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Bake the frozen hash browns according to package directions, until golden and crispy.
  • While the hash browns are baking, cut the slider rolls in half, separating the top and the bottom. Place the bottoms in a parchment lined baking pan. Spread the Russian dressing over the rolls.
  • When the hash browns are done, remove them from the oven and carefully arrange them on the rolls, over the dressing. Lower the oven temperature to 375 degrees.
  • Layer the corned beef, Swiss cheese and sauerkraut over the hash browns and cover with the tops of the rolls.
  • Stir the caraway seeds, minced onion, and kosher salt into the melted butter and brush over the tops of the sliders. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese has melted and the tops are golden brown. Carefully cut between the rolls to separate the sliders.
  • Enjoy hot!
Keyword Corned Beef, Game Day, Sliders, St. Patrick's Day
Classic Reuben Sandwich

March 11, 2021 Recipes

Classic Reuben Sandwich

Classic Reuben Sandwich

Who doesn't love a good Rueben?! Corned beef, perfectly melted Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut and the most delicious dressing all piled onto marbled rye bread and warmed to crispy, gooey perfection. YUM.

If you aren't in the habit of making Reubens for yourself at home, we need to change that, PRONTO. The sandwich could not be easier to make and you can find all of the ingredients to make the perfect Reuben at any grocery store!

Classic Reuben Sandwich

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

I'm sure you know this already, but let's just go over it for good measure. A Reuben is made of the following ingredients:

Corned beef

Swiss cheese

Sauerkraut

Russian dressing

Marbled rye

Classic Reuben Sandwich

The one thing I don't suggest buying for this sandwich is the dressing. Store bought Russian dressings are much thinner than homemade (more like a salad dressing) and not nearly as tasty. Homemade is the way to go! Luckily, the Russian dressing is super easy to whip up and you probably already have most (or all!) of the ingredients on hand.

If you just HAVE to buy the dressing, you might want to choose thousand island instead. It won't be a traditional Reuben, but store bought thousand island is at least thicker than store bought Russian dressing—so, better suited for a sandwich. But like, just make the dressing. Okay? Okay. The recipe below will leave you with some extra dressing—use it as a dipping sauce!

Classic Reuben Sandwich

Just writing this up is making me hungry for another Reuben! I hope you guys love this recipe as much as I do. Sometimes you just gotta turn your house into a sandwich deli!

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  • Corned Beef and Hash Brown Sliders
Classic Reuben Sandwich

Classic Reuben Sandwich

Corned beef, perfectly melted Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut and the most delicious dressing all piled onto marbled rye bread and warmed to crispy, gooey perfection.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Total Time 20 mins
Course Main Course
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

For the Russian Dressing

  • 1 Cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ Cup ketchup
  • 2 Tablespoons minced yellow onion
  • 1 Tablespoon chopped dill pickle or cornichon (optional)
  • 1 Teaspoon worcestershire sauce
  • ½-1 Teaspoon hot sauce to taste
  • ½ Teaspoon paprika
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Reubens

  • 4 Slices marbled rye bread
  • 8 Slices corned beef (about ½ pound)
  • 4 Slices Swiss cheese
  • 1 Cup sauerkraut drained
  • 2 Tablespoons butter softened

Instructions
 

  • Mix all of the ingredients for the dressing together. Taste and adjust seasoning to your liking. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  • Spread the softened butter on the outsides of each piece of bread (all the way to the edges!) and the Russian dressing on the insides. Layer 4 slices of corned beef, 2 slices of Swiss cheese and ½ cup of sauerkraut on each sandwich and then close, buttered sides facing outwards.
  • Carefully add the sandwiches to a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until the outsides are crispy and the cheese is melted; 2-3 minutes on each side.
  • Serve with a pickle. Enjoy!
Keyword Corned Beef, Sandwiches, St. Patrick's Day
Paglia e Fieno with Crispy Shallots

February 24, 2021 Classic Italian

Paglia e Fieno with Crispy Shallots

Paglia e Fieno with Crispy Shallots

Palia e Fieno is a classic Italian dish that translates to "straw and hay". The recipe gets its name from the two types of pasta used—egg fettuccine for the straw, and spinach fettuccine for the hay. Straw and hay pasta is usually served with prosciutto, sweet peas and sometimes mushrooms in a cream sauce. For my version, I topped it off with crispy shallots—perfection! This pasta comes together quickly, so make sure to read through the recipe before you start cooking.

Shockingly, I actually didn't love this dish when I was younger and would be a little bummed out whenever my dad made it. Sorry dad! My family still makes fun of me for saying, "I don't like this prosciutto and beans!" once while eating Paglia e Fieno. I have no idea why I was calling peas beans, but that's the quote! Thankfully, my tastes have changed and I DO like this prosciutto and beans (peas). A lot. I may be a little late to the game, but I'm here!

Paglia e Fieno

*This post may contain affiliate links. See disclosure for further details.

This pasta is super simple and easy to make and you can even make the crispy shallots ahead of time! The sauce starts with minced shallot and prosciutto in butter and olive oil, then you'll add in your heavy cream and bring that to a simmer to thicken a bit. Meanwhile, cook the pasta. About 2 minutes before you're done cooking the pasta, you'll add the peas to the pasta water to cook. Then, with a spider or slotted pasta spoon, transfer the pasta and peas directly into the sauce. Add some pasta cooking water and plenty of cheese and then toss to create the tastiest, creamiest sauce! Take a little bite of the pasta and add salt and pepper to your taste. The prosciutto is salty so you shouldn't need much! Then you'll top it all off with more cheese and a sprinkling of crispy shallots.

Paglia e Fieno

Speaking of those crispy shallots, I want to put them on everything! They are so easy to make too! You just thinly slice a couple shallots and then fry them in a neutral oil. To make sure they don't burn, you'll add the shallots and the oil to a pan at the same time and bring them up to temperature together, instead of heating the oil first. The shallots take about 10 minutes to get golden brown, but keep an eye on them to make sure they don't burn. Then transfer them to a paper towel lined plate and season them with a bit of flaky sea salt.

Of course, you don't HAVE to make the crispy shallots, but...you kind of have to. I mean like, I'm not going to show up to your house and force you to know the deliciousness of crispy shallots, but you will be doing yourself a great disservice if you skip them. That's all I'm saying.

Paglia e Fieno with Crispy Shallots

I like to use dried pasta for this dish because I think it holds up better when tossing it with the cream sauce. Of course, you can use fresh pasta if you want, but since it cooks so fast, you'll have to time the sauce to be ready when the pasta is. Whether using dried or fresh pasta, if you find that your sauce is done and your pasta isn't yet, you can just take the sauce off the heat until the pasta is ready and give the sauce a stir to bring it back together.

I love cubed prosciutto for this recipe, but if you can't find it, regular prosciutto cut into strips or even cubed cooked ham will work. You can use pancetta as well, but keep in mind that pancetta will give off a good amount of fat, so you'll need to adjust the amount of butter and oil used, or cook the pancetta first and drain off the fat. There are plenty of salted pork options that'll work here—and they'll all be delicious!

Paglia e Fieno with Crispy Shallots

The sweet peas in this recipe make it the perfect springtime dish! Of course, you can make this pasta any time of year with frozen peas, but it's especially perfect for spring with all those pretty pastel colors.

Since the snow is just starting to melt here, and warmer days are ahead (hopefully but, who knows with Chicago weather!) it felt like the right time to share this recipe! I hope you love it.

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  • Smoked Trout and Snap Pea Pasta Salad
  • Pasta alla Gricia
  • Asparagus Mimosa with Crispy Prosciutto
  • Spaghetti with Guanciale and Brussels Sprouts
Paglia e Fieno with Crispy Shallots

Paglia e Fieno with Crispy Shallots

Palia e Fieno is a classic Italian dish that translates to “straw and hay”. The recipe gets its name from the two types of pasta used—egg fettuccine for the straw, and spinach fettuccine for the hay.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients
  

For the pasta

  • ½ Pound dried egg fettuccine
  • ½ Pound dried spinach fettuccine
  • 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 Shallot minced
  • 1 5 Ounce package cubed prosciutto
  • 1 Cup heavy cream
  • 1 Cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
  • 1 Cup fresh or frozen peas thawed if frozen
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the Crispy Shallots

  • 2 Shallots thinly sliced into rounds
  • 1 Cup neutral oil such as vegetable or avocado
  • Flaky sea salt such as Maldon

Instructions
 

  • Make the crispy shallots. Add the shallots and oil to a small sauce pan or skillet. Bring the heat up to medium low/medium and fry, stirring occasionally to separate rings, until golden brown, keeping an eye on them so that they don't burn; about 10 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the shallots to a paper towel lined plate and season with flaky sea salt. Set aside until ready to use.
  • In a large skillet over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the minced shallots and prosciutto and cook for 3 minutes. Add the cream, stir, and simmer until thickened slightly; about 5 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fettuccine to 2 minutes less than package directions for al dente. Add the peas to the pasta water 2 minutes before the pasta is done. With a large spider or slotted pasta spoon, transfer the pasta and the peas into the cream sauce. Add ½ cup of pasta cooking water and ½ cup of the cheese and toss the pasta until you have a thick, creamy sauce and pasta is cooked to al dente; 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Serve immediately with the rest of the cheese, the crispy shallots, and freshly cracked pepper.
  • Enjoy!
Keyword cream sauce, Creamy pasta, Pasta, Peas, prosciutto, spring recipes, Straw and Hay pasta
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