Farfalle Carbonara with Spring Peas

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April showers bring May flowers!  And thank God for the rain that we've received before things dry out in the summer!  I really appreciate gentle rain showers and thought it was such a delightful theme for this week in the I Heart Cooking Club with Jamie Oliver group.  "April Showers" . . . what foods come to mind?  Well, spring peas seemed to be popping up on my brain, so I searched Jamie's web-site for "spring" and numerous recipes appeared.  Since I've got a pantry full of pasta that I need to use, and some cream and peas already in the frig, all I needed for this recipe was some pancetta.  Not a problem, I easily picked that up on the way home from the office.

I made a few changes to increase the smiles on our faces over this recipe:  First I increased the amount of pancetta.  I've got a husband who prefers meat over pasta, so I have to meet him half way by adding more pancetta.  It was wonderful!  I added one more ounce of cream, because I figured, "why not?".  Next, we're not big fans of mint in pasta, so I replaced it with the classic Carbonara herb:  Italian Parsley.  Finally, I needed to really shake on some extra salt and pepper at the end when I tasted the final results, even though I don't need salt for my health.  The recipe certainly required it for enhanced flavor!

I also recommend that the next time I make this, I'll saute' 2 or 3 cloves of garlic in the pancetta fat after the pancetta is cooked.  This time I drained the fat, since I certainly don't need it in my nutrition.  But it would be nice to complete this recipe with some golden garlic blended in.  I think I would also use half Pecorina-Romano and half Parmigiano cheeses instead of all Parmigiano cheese alone, just for a flavor that I prefer.

Farfalle Carbonara with Spring Peas
adapted from Jamie's Dinners

1 lb. farfalle pasta (bow ties)
1 jumbo egg
4 oz. heavy cream (changed from 3.5 oz - I mean what's an extra ounce?)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 rashers of pancetta, roughly sliced (I used 1/2 lb. chopped into chunks)
3 handfuls of fresh or frozen peas
2 sprigs of fresh mint leaves (I eliminated this since we're not crazy about mint with pasta)
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped (I added this, since it is classic in Carbonara)
more salt and pepper to taste (it needs it!)

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil, add the farfalle, and cook for 10 minutes or until al dente (farfalle noodles take a little bit longer than spaghetti noodles).
Whisk the egg in a bowl with the cream, salt and pepper.
Place the pancetta into a another large frying pan and cook until crispy and caramel brown.
When the farfalle is nearly cooked, add the peas to the pasta and water for the last minute and a half.
When cooked, drain in a colander, saving a little of the cooking water.
Add the pasta and peas to the pancetta.
Add the egg and cream mix to the pasta, peas and pancetta mixture. What's important here is that you add it while the pasta is still hot. This way, the heat of the pasta cooks the eggs and creates a silky smooth sauce.
Add the Parmesan cheese and gently blend everything together.
Add the Italian Parsley and once again blend gently (original recipe calls for mint).
Toss together and loosen with a little of the reserved cooking water if necessary. Season with salt and pepper . . . just a note:  it really needs this!
Serve as soon as possible while hot.

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Seasonal Saturday & Fresh, Clean, and Pure Friday!

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April is almost half over as time flies by!  And what a gorgeous month it has been outside.  I've enjoyed it so much since we've got our veggie gardens all planted and growing nicely.  We even planted sweet corn this year . . . we'll see how that goes!  In about a week, we'll be past our official 'freeze' date in this region of the U.S., so I'm crossing my fingers that all my newly planted babies will be fine.  But I ramble!  It's time again to share your posts on how you've freshened up your recipes, homes, gardens, lifestyles, etc.  Are you doing something more seasonal-oriented that you'd like to share?  This is the place to share those posts.

Here are the featured blogs from last week . . . but really ALL of the posts were so incredible!
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Sonia from My Creative Flavors shared one of the BEST posts on how to prepare artichokes as well as a yummy recipe for Stuffed Artichokes.  This post is one of the best that I've ever read on cooking fresh artichokes.  I hope you check it out!
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Glenda over at Tootsie Time is the busiest garden blogger, I tell you!  In her post she takes us on a tour of her green house and chats about her first blooms of spring.
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Once again for the second week in a row, there were no posts for decor, so once again there is a second featured food blog post.  Jessica from Kitchen Belleicious shared a beautiful step-by-step post on Brown Sugar Shortcakes with Strawberries and Lemon Cream.  Just the title alone makes me drool!
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Denise from Creative Kitchen shares very honestly about her lifestyle changes and efforts to eat more "clean" for her health in her post The Plight of a Food Blogger and Clean Eating.  Actually, blogging and reading other's food blogs have helped me eat better and more healthfully, and I'm so grateful for that.
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To help us celebrate Easter in a precious way, Katherine from Katherine's Corner shared her post on how to create ribbon Easter eggs.  These eggs are so beautiful.  I've always loved them and yet have never made them myself.  Just darling!

Yes, you can share more than one post.  Just remember that I gently remove any post related to giveaways, coupons and sales, and any attempt to try to sell stuff.  Please be blogger polite and either include a link or place the Fresh, Clean, and Pure Friday or Seasonal Saturday button with a link to this blog in your post for others to find this get-together.  Thanks so much!


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Frittata with Mushrooms, Thyme, and Parmigiano Cheese

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Eggs!  Glorious, miraculous eggs!  One of the perennial food symbols of springtime.  I could eat eggs every day, I love them that much.  Whether scrambled, fried, as an omelette, or even better yet, for Italian frittatas, I just love eggs.  I had some fresh mushrooms in the frig that needed to be used so I immediately thought that preparing this egg dish would be perfect for a light lunch this week and to take a slice in a packed lunch for the office.  Actually, this is quite customary for Italians to do with frittatas.  I snipped the thyme straight out of my herb garden just outside of my kitchen.  I also lightened this up a bit by replacing half of the egg amount with egg replacements and by using half and half instead of whole cream.    

Did you know the main reasons why an Italian frittata differs from a French omelette?   

• First, there's always at least one ingredient included, which is always added to the beaten raw eggs; whereas with an omelette any ingredient is laid over the mostly-cooked egg mixture before it is folded.
• Frittata egg mixtures are often beaten longer and more vigorously which results in a deeper, fluffier egg dish.
• Frittatas are cooked more slowly over a lower heat than omelettes, until the bottom is cooked, but the top is still runny, unlike omelettes that are cooked through on both sides.  Which leads to the next difference:
• Frittatas are not folded, but simply turned over in it's entirety or once cooked on the stove, they are finished off by baking and grilling/broiling in a hot oven.  
• Frittatas are sliced and shared among several people, and omelettes are served whole to one person.  And lastly,
• Frittatas are also served hot or cold, whereas omelettes are always served hot.

If you're giving up meat for personal health reasons or for this season of Lent, then let me tell you that you'll not feel any sense of deprivation when enjoying frittatas.  They are incredibly healthy, full of flavor, and so comforting!  Plus, they are simply beautiful to look at!  If you have never made a frittata before, please give them a try because they are so easy and versatile with numerous ingredients that you can include in them.

And now, here's a great recipe for a very delicious frittata!

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Come Come on and take a bite!

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Garnish with fresh sprigs of thyme. 

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Sprinkle a bit of black pepper all over each individual slice.

Frittata with Mushrooms, Thyme, and Parmigiano Cheese
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3 Tbsp. butter or cooking spray
16 oz. fresh mushrooms (of your choice), wiped clean, stems trimmed, sliced
6 green onions, sliced
3/4 cups egg replacement
3 jumbo eggs
1/4 cup half and half (or you can use whole milk)
1/2 cup Parmigiano cheese, fresh and finely grated
1 1/2 Tbsp. chopped, fresh thyme leaves
(optional:  chopped, fresh chives and/or Italian parsley)
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven on to 350 degrees (later you'll change it to "Broil").
Heat an 8-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat.
Coat pan with cooking spray or butter.
Add mushrooms and green onions to pan; sauté 12 minutes or until mushrooms are nicely browned.
In a medium bowl, add the eggs and egg replacement.
Add the half and half.
Add the Parmesan cheese.
Add the thyme and any additional herbs that you like.
Add salt and pepper and whisk everything together.
Pour the egg/cheese mixture into the same pan with the sauteed mushrooms and green onions.
Heat pan over medium heat.
Cook, covered, for about 6 minutes or when it is just a little bit liquid-y/runny on the top.
At that point, place the pan into the oven and cook on 350 for another 5 - 10 minutes.
Once the frittata is completely set and cooked (not runny on top) change the oven temperature to "Broil".
Place the pan on the lowest rack of the oven and broil for about 2 minutes or until a golden brown color forms on the top.

Approximately 185 calories per slice (this fritatta can be cut into 6 slices).

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