Quick and Easy Pasta

This was made at class last Wednesday for two very special young ladies that came to the store to learn some techniques to eat a bit healthier and to enjoy that healthy food more.  Well, I had some stuff in the fridge and showed them how easy this dish was to make.  I used one package of Roasted Garlic and Jalapeno Linguine and cooked it in boiling water.  Meanwhile I heated a large skillet over medium high heat and sauted about 8 medium sliced button mushrooms in 1/4 cup olive oil until browned.  Then added a half an onion and half a red pepper, both diced in half inch dice.  Continued to cook them for about another 2 minutes then I threw in 2 leftover spicy sausages that I had and just sliced into half inch slices.  Then I opened a 14 ounce can of petite diced tomatoes and poured that in, stirred a bit then dumped in the drained linguine and added about a half cup of the water the pasta was cooked in.  Stirred it all well and turned onto platter.  Sprinkled all over with shaved Parmesan and it was spectacular and just unbelievably quick and easy!  Dishes like this are healthy because of the low sodium, the small amount of fat (monounsaturated too!) and the fact that THERE ARE NO CHEMICAL ADDITIVES !

Red Pepper Pasta Carbonara

Saturday at class we made pasta in my pasta and sauces class.  One of my favorite pasta dishes is Carbonara, and it is made all that much more flavorful when you use a rich flavorful pasta like the Red Pepper Linguine.  To make Carbonara, take about 8 strips of bacon and brown them in just a scant teaspoon of olive oil.  Remove the bacon and coarsely chop.  Into the bacon fat in the skillet, add a half cup of finely diced onions and saute for about two minutes.  A half cup of white wine, like a nice Reisling can be added now and just reduce by about two thirds.  Now, add the package of Red Pepper Linguine that you cooked in boiling water for six minutes.  Turn off the heat and add 3 eggs that you beat with 1/2 cup of half and half and 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese.  Stir well and the eggs will begin to set, add a half cup of the pasta cooking water and continue to stir until the eggs make a thick sauce.  Stir in half of the chopped bacon, then place on serving plate.  Garnish with the remaining bacon in the middle, and sliced scallions around the edge.  And of course, add plenty of fresh ground black pepper all over the top.  Carbonara is a derivative of the Italian word carbone, or charcoal.  Black.