Bacon, Leek and Tomato Spaghetti

Ingredients: 

1 lb thin Spaghetti, 

Extra Virgin Olive oil, 

3 Leeks,

6 slices bacon, 

minced garlic, 

3 cans Italian diced tomatoes 

(or whole tomatoes and just

smash them...you could pretend its

someone you don't like)

Basil, Parsley,

Parmesan Shavings

   Mad props to my guest photographer, (my 8 year old) Elaine! She loves taking pictures for me.....          she is a foodie photographer in the making.

Chop the root end off your leeks and peel off the outer layer. Slice the leeks down the middle, and then slice into small strips. Put leeks into a medium bowl and fill it with cold water and soak.

We really like bacon. It makes us happy. I know the recipe says 6 slices, but we do a whole package. Its about 12 slices. Center cut is the best bacon ever. It doesn't make too much grease, but just enough for this recipe.

Dice it up

Toss it into a large skillet with some evoo. Make it big. This recipe will fill up the whole thing. cook until bacon is a little crispy.









While the bacon is cooking, you'll want to separate the leeks layers. They are kinda like onions, but when they grow, they get dirt in between the layers. You want to kind of make a clothes washer agitator motion with your hand and get all that dirt out of them. I know, that sounds weird. Humor me.

When they're all pulled apart and clean, take a clean dish towel and lay it out on the counter. Pull the leeks out of the water with your hands (look at all the dirt in that water. Gross.) and spread them out over the towel. Lay another clean towel over the top and pat dry.

This is how you want your bacon/olive oil to look. Now you're not going to drain any grease. You want that bacon flavoring in the sauce. If you used Center cut, it won't be a lot anyway.


Ummm.....you may want to start your pasta water. I really hope you know how to cook pasta. Cook pasta to Al Dente.

Add a couple teaspoons minced garlic to your bacon. If you really like garlic (as I do) you can put more.


And more. 

A little more than that.

Okay. That's enough.
Oh yeah, now add the leeks to your bacon-y goodness. Simmer 3 minutes or so until the leeks are good and wilted.

Italian diced tomatoes.

These are tricky to find. The can may not say "Italian", it may just say, "Basil, Garlic & Oregano". Same thing. Buy it. Buy a bunch. You'll make this again. If you only find Italian Whole tomatoes, just mash them up in the pan.







Dump 3 cans of it into your skillet and mix it up.

Now add your perfectly cooked pasta. Take a food grabber thingy like mine, and go ahead and mix it in. Just like this. Keep doing it for about 3 minutes until the noodles are all saturated with the sauce.....

I didn't in this picture, but you can also throw in some basil leaves and mix them in (Wal-mart was out that day)
Cut up some fresh Parsley and sprinkle it over the top.

Add Parmesan shavings. I love Parm shavings. This is not the same with powdered Parmesan. Trust me. Shredded is not bad, but try to go for the shaved. It sounds dumb but it matters.


Enjoy! This serves quite a few people. My family of 5 eats a ton and we still have lots left for lunch the next day.


This recipe is adapted from Rachael Ray.

Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks

I ran into a small problem with this one. The problem is that you cannot find something as extravagant as pancetta  in a Wal Mart in Oklahoma City. All you find are blank stares and confused faces. Oh well....good thing regular ole' bacon is a good substitute. Go ahead and dice up about 3-4 oz of bacon (ideally the dices should be the size of a pea, I was not so patient). Saute in a large skillet until it starts to brown.

Start your Farfalle (bow tie pasta) cooking
When pasta is done, set aside some pasta water.

While the bacon or pancetta is cooking, slice your leeks. I love leeks because they are similar to an onion, but the smell is much milder. They look just like a giant green onion.









You'll want to slice 3 leeks thinly all the way up to where it starts looking tough and darker green. Throw the root end away. You can throw away the outer layer too. You don't need it. They seriously smell so good. I would fill a huge bathtub with them and soak up the scent for hours.....don't judge me.










Toss them in a colander and rinse them really well.While rinsing, separate the layers.
When a leek grows, it traps dirt between the layers so you'll always want to rinse them before use.
I sound like I know a ton about gardening. I don't. I call myself Black Thumb. Nothing lives for me-I'm surprised my kids have survived so long. In other recipes I usually slice the leek down the center (long way) and then slice it. I kinda wish I had done that. Do whatever the heck you feel like.

When the bacon is starting to brown, add the leeks and cook for about 8-10 minutes. Add a couple pats of butter.

The recipe calls for 1/2 cup dry white wine. As I do not partake of alcohol, or even cook with it, I used chicken broth instead. If you use wine, cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until reduced. The chicken broth did not reduce, but I cooked it the extra 1-2 minutes just for kicks.

Reduce heat to low and add 1/2 cup heavy cream.
        

  Salt and pepper to taste. Stir in some parmesan shavings. I don't know how many.....grab a handful, close your eyes, and throw some parmesan at the stove. However much makes it in the pot, that's how much you use. I like parmesan, so I am not shy with it.                                                                

Serve immediately with, yes, more parmesan. Enjoy!


Recipe adapted from the Pioneer Woman

Cheesy Fettuccine Alfredo

I decided to start with a recipe from the Pioneer Woman. If you have never heard of her, you should check out her website. She basically rocks. She is a photographer, master chef, gardener, homeschooling mom of 4 and lives on a farm with her cowboy hubby. She's my idol. I wanted to do one of hers because everything I ever make of hers comes out delicious.

This is a very dense and heavy meal. I would strongly suggest eating this on a cold day. Maybe the night before you run a marathon. Okay, this is all you need for this recipe: 1 lb fettuccine, 1 cup heavy cream, 1 stick salted butter, 2 cups shredded parmesan (freshly grated is best, but I'm lazy today) and salt and pepper to taste.

First thing you'll do is get your water boiling for noodles. This recipe is ready very quickly, so you'll want to start about 15 minutes before you're ready to eat.

Next you're going to get a pan or skillet and warm the butter and heavy cream together.

Grab a medium bowl (the serving bowl in my case) and pour in your 2 cups parmesan (side note:my family decided this was too much cheese! Next time we'll only do one cup and see if it's better)

salt and pepper cream mixture to taste. This butter/cream reminds me of when I was a kid and my dad would make "Milk Toast" I bet all of my Nelson cousins reading this know what I'm talking about. We used whole milk instead of heavy cream but still....that's another post.

When everything is ready (noodles too) Pour cream mixture into cheese and stir....yes. butter, cream and cheese. Together. You'll love and hate me after this.


After the fettuccine is cooked, you're going to drain it and IMMEDIATELY pour it into the cheese bowl and toss with the creamy thigh killer.




This is your creamy cheesy gooey dreamy result. Serve immediately with a BIG healthy salad to balance it out. Serves 6.





Prepare to be very loved. And to hit the gym.