This time I made the macadamia nut pesto. They are probably the best substitute for pine nuts because they are sweet and don’t make pesto bitter like walnuts or other nuts sometimes can.

I made this recipe twice in the last week. The second time I used organic spaghetti from Trader Joe’s and served to company. Everyone loved it. I have to say it was definitely my favorite pasta dish of the year.

Ingredients for Macadamia Nut Pesto Pasta with Trader’s Joe’s Shrim

• Macadamia Nuts
• Garlic
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Basil
• Salt, Pepper
• Pecorino or Parmesan (optional)
• Pasta (spaghetti or for low carb this edamame option)
• Shrimp

The shrimp I use most often are the Argentinian shrimp from Trader Joe’s. They are peeled, frozen and sweet, ready to jump into any recipe. See below for all the ways I’ve used these shrimp.

Once you have the pesto made, a quick sauté of the shrimp while the pasta is boiling and you will have a fantastic dinner. I added in a few sliced grape tomatoes for color.

Make this Dish Keto, Gluten Free Friendly

Low Carb Option: If you want to keep your dish low-carb, you can use edamame pasta, hearts of palm pasta or zoodles. You can find edmame pasta it in various stores or on Amazon. I find it works well in this dish.

My Favorite Food Processor

I recently purchased a Braun food processor on Amazon that does just about everything I need in the kitchen and is amazing. It juices lemons, chops nuts, makes the BEST buttercream, heavy cream, chops, grates and for this recipe makes the best pesto. If you are in the market for a food processor, you will love this one. It costs a little more than the average processor, but it does so much more. Made in Europe with German engineering, it’s not like any food processor I’ve ever owned.

More Low Carb Shrimp Recipes from Spinach Tiger

• Keto Shrimp and Cheesy Cauliflower Grits
• Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash
• Shrimp Creole Cauliflower Rice
• Spicy Tuscan Shrimp
• Keto Shrimp Scampi
• Shrimp with Olives, Italian Spicy Zoodles

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Shrimp with Macadamia Nut Pesto

Fresh basil, macadamia nuts, lemon juice make a delightful summer pesto, perfect for shrimp.

Course Italian Sauce

Cuisine Italian

Keyword basil, cajun shrimp, edamame pasta, macadamia nuts, pesto

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4 Servings

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

Macadamia Nut Pesto

• 2 cups tightly packed fresh picked basil leaves
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cups roasted salted macadamia nuts
• 1 cloves of garlic finely chopped before processing
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• dash of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• For completion by hand
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup parmesan or Pecorino cheese optional

Shrimp and Pasta

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
• 1/2 pound pasta
• 1/4 cup pasta water
• 8 grape tomatoes optional

Instructions

Macadamia Nut Pesto

• Place all ingredients except cheese into a food processor. You must chop the garlic first, which makes it much better to process and doesn’t become a juice.
• I don’t like to use a food processor for this because I can pulse it and keep some texture, which I prefer.
• I skipped the cheese in this recipe, but if using, add by hand at the end, before adding butter.
• Shrimp and Pasta
• Add oil to a frying pan and sautè shrimp for about one minute on each side, until there is no pink showing. Set aside.
• Cook pasta according to directions. (Save about 1/4 cup of pasta water).
• Add drained pasta to pan with shrimp. Add enough pesto to cover pasta. You can add a little pasta water back in, as the starchy water helps to thicken. Add a tablespoon at a time.
• Cut tomatoes in half lengthwise. Add as garnish to pasta dish.

Notes

Regarding cheese, sometimes I just use pecorino romano. You can also use parmesan cheese. I  skip the cheese when using seafood.

Shrimp: We use a pound of shrimp, half pound pasta for 4 small servings. You can double this for larger servings or to serve six.

If you are adding this to pasta, reserve some pasta water (3 tablespoons or so) a little at a time to extend the pasta.

You may also heat the pesto on very very low and add in heavy cream for a creamy pesto pasta.

The post Macadamia Nut Pesto, Shrimp, Edamame Pasta appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

I am Italian American, but my grandparents were Italian immigrants. Pasta was a constant in our home. However, when I went ot Italy and ate several different pasta dishes, I was surprised by the texture, and understood what al dente meant.

Pasta al dente has a bite to it

When pasta is cooked al dente, it means it has a tooth to it or a bite to it. It resists slightly.  This takes longer to digest and avoids a spike in blood sugar.

The first time I ever ate a pasta cooked correctly was a Pasta Carbonara dish in Rome. It was so delicious and satisfying and it felt almost as if the center wasn’t cooked. I learned that we Americans are doing it all wrong!

We tend to overcook pasta to a mushy, gummy mess, doing stupid things like adding in olive oil and then rinsing in cold water. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Trust me on this.

First of all there is a difference in cooking times and sauce preferences between homemade and factory made dried pasta. If you buy a quality dried pasta, and it is cooked properly, it’s often better than pasta made from scratch at home.

While homemade pasta is wonderful, factory pasta is suited more to most Italian dishes.  For example, spaghetti, rigatoni, penne pasta, and bucatini are factory pastas we all adore. These pastas are made from water and semolina flour, a golden yellow hard wheat flour, which gives the pasta its structure. There are no eggs used, and the pasta is very firm.

Factory pasta is best suited to olive oil sauces and can be used with butter sauces.  This zucchini basil  pasta dish is so delicious and a wonderful summer dish.

No matter whether the pasta is homemade or store-bought,  the rules for how to cook pasta are the same.

Spaghetti is the most overcooked pasta on earth. It should resist and have a bite to it. It’s easier to digest that way too!

You don’t always need to have a ton of pasta to make a wonderful dish. This is simply olive oil, garlic and crushed red pepper with broccoli.

How Much Pasta Per Person

However, if pasta is the main course (spaghetti and meatballs), make sure you cook enough for a crowd. You will want to cook 4 ounces per person to be on the safe side, even though two ounces is a portion. This is the dish you’ll want to have leftovers.

Classic Genovesa Pesto with Green Beans and Potatoes is a bit of Carb Heaven, but make sure that spaghetti has a bite to it.

Spaghetti with Meatballs and Garden Vegetables Doesn’t Need a Sauce. This is a pasta you absolutely want to cook al dente!

Pasta Carbonara is a delightful classic.

Pasta Water 

Where there’s a sauce involved like a warm pesto, you might want to finish the cooking in the pan to bring more favor to the pasta. Put the pesto in frying pan. Add in pasta, but reserve a little of the pasta water. See Number 8 on tips.

Pasta and Chicken with Pistachio Pesto

Pistachio Pesto can be used on any pasta and is so good. 

Factory pasta is best suited to olive oil sauces and can be used with butter sauces. Bread crumbs as a topping often give pasta that little extra something.

Pasta La Fritteda 

This spinach pasta is store-bought from Trader Joe’s and will have a longer cooking time than homemade.

How to Cook Pasta al dente: Here are the rules for factory produced, dried pasta.

1. Choose the right pasta for the intended sauce.
2. LOTS OF WATER – I use a 7 quart pot fill it with 6 quarts of water to cook one pound of pasta. WHY? The more water per pasta ratio, the faster the water gets back to boiling and the faster the pasta will cook. The more water per pasta ratio, the more room the pasta has, and this avoids sticking.
3. Do NOT put oil in your pan. Just use an ample amount of water. The exception to this rule is homemade, filled pasta such as ravioli.
4. LOTS OF SALT – Once the water begins to boil, add the salt and not before. Wait a few seconds until the water is rapidly boiling and then add pasta.
5. COOK Al Dente – Only cook the pasta until it is soft, yet still has a chew. Do not overcook. Test the pasta starting at two minutes before suggested cook time.
6. RESERVE some pasta water. Before you empty the pot into a colander, reserve a cup of pasta water for your sauce
7. Do NOT rinse pasta with water. The starch on the pasta needs to stay put!
8. FINISH cooking the pasta in the sauce. Place enough sauce into a large frying pan or dutch oven and finish cooking the pasta. It will absorb some of the sauce and flavor. At this time, add in some of the pasta water. The starch in the water will help to thicken the sauce.
9. ENJOY!

Pasta with Spicy Eggplant Sauce

How You can Tell if  You have a good pasta

What’s a good pasta? You should be able to tell the difference between a good quality boxed pasta and a so so pasta, because the quality pasta will have more body to it when cooked. It will plump more and have flavor, not be just bland starch.

There are two brands I think are exceptional in the moderate price range.  Alma’s and La Molinari. I’m mentioning these brands because they are only slightly higher in price than the cheaper brands and worth a few extra cents.

I also like the higher priced De Cecco pasta a lot! There are other brands with Italian names that are priced right and get premier space, and while they are not bad, they are not exceptionally good either.

It’s so important to get the pasta right, because a few simple things can make the difference between a great bite of pasta and a dish no one really cares to eat.

How to Cook The Right Pasta for the Right Sauce

A thick bolognese sauce is great with a papparadelle (a wider noodle) , but also memorable with an extra thick spaghetti that is hollowed, called bucatini.  It’s one of our favorite pastas! De Cecco makes a great bucatini.

The Best Pasta for Chicken Soup

I grew up on pastina (affilate) in my chicken soup and now the boys absolutely love and prefer this.

Pastina (affiliate)  is amazing with scrambled eggs and parmesan cheese. It’s the dish my grandmother made for me and a pasta kids can eat with a spoon. As we got older, we started scrambling eggs into spaghetti with olive oil and cheese and it’s my husband’s favorite.

Homemade Papparadelle is perfect for bolognese, but is lovely with chanterelle mushrooms and butter. A homemade egg based pasta will cook very quickly. Homemade pastas are made with eggs and softer wheat flour. They cook quickly and absorb sauces deeply.

How to Cook Gluten Free Pasta

The same rules apply, but read the directions carefully. Some gluten free pastas have long cooking times. Keep in mind that most gluten free pasta is not good reheated and will fall apart.

Gluten Free Rotini Mexican Style

Pasta is a Perfect Ingredient for a One Dish Dinner

We love one dish pasta dishes, and sometimes we turn to low-carb pasta.

In this case, a low-carb, high protein pasta was used and cooked extra long with the last few minutes cooking in the olive oil mixture to absorb the flavor.

Pasta with Salmon, Olives, Tomatoes, Cauliflower

Low Carb Pasta with Peach Pork Bolognese.

Pasta is one of those dishes the whole world loves and makes in so many different ways. Eaten in moderation, it’s a great part of life. Properly cooked, it’s easier to digest and enjoy!

Here’s my latest pasta dish. Stuffed Shells and How to Stuff Pasta, great for a crowd.

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How to Cook Pasta Like an Italian (al dente) and Which Pasta to Use

How to Cook Pasta Properly.

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound of pasta or as desired.
• 6 quarts water
• 2 tablespoons salt

Instructions

• How to Cook Pasta: Here are the rules for factory produced, dried pasta.
• Choose the right pasta for the intended sauce.
• LOTS OF WATER – I use a 7 quart pot fill it with 6 quarts of water to cook one pound of pasta. WHY? The more water per pasta ratio, the faster the water gets back to boiling and the faster the pasta will cook. The more water per pasta ratio, the more room the pasta has, and this avoids sticking.
• Do NOT put oil in your pan. Just use an ample amount of water. The exception to this rule is homemade, filled pasta such as ravioli.
• LOTS OF SALT – Once the water begins to boil, add the salt and not before. Wait a few seconds until the water is rapidly boiling and then add pasta.
• COOK Al Dente – Only cook the pasta until it is soft, yet still has a chew. Do not overcook. Test the pasta starting at two minutes before suggested cook time.
• RESERVE some pasta water. Before you empty the pot into a colander, reserve a cup of pasta water for your sauce
• Do NOT rinse pasta with water. The starch on the pasta needs to stay put!
• FINISH cooking the pasta in the sauce. Place enough sauce into a large frying pan or dutch oven and finish cooking the pasta. It will absorb some of the sauce and flavor. At this time, add in some of the pasta water. The starch in the water will help to thicken the sauce.
• ENJOY!

The post How to Cook Pasta al Dente, Like an Italian appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is quintessentially “Sicilian.” They (we) love our eggplant, especially when made spicy and served with spaghetti.

My grandfather, Biaggio, was born in Isnello (a commune outside of Palermo), and I had the pleasure to eat two eggplant dishes prepared by his my family there on our travels to Sicily. This is a Marcella Hazan recipe and was first published here in November 2010.  It was time for an update with new pictures.

The eggplant is fried, left chunky, and tossed with spaghetti. I chose this gluten free pasta, but you can choose whatever you like.

Spicy Eggplant Sauce with Spaghetti

Isnello a Village outside of Palermo
When we visited Isnello, we were served two kinds of eggplant that had that perfect char that I’ve never been able to replicate.

The village of Isnello has an elevation only second to Mount Etna. The infrastructure has hardly been touched in centuries except for the remodeling of kitchens and bathrooms. Laundry is still hung outside up on  the forth floor of narrow, yet pristine homes that often have two kitchens.

My family owns a bed and breakfast home on the mountainside, just across the town. The views are spectacular, breathtaking and not like any I’ve witnessed here in the states.

The setting is a bit surreal, because the town is small and remote, with it’s own cheese shop, butcher and baker. It feels a bit isolated and insulated, yet it is a mere 30 minute drive to the beach and Palermo. The drive is quite a climb, breathtaking (a bit scary) and awesome.  This is a the first time I’ve used that word “awesome” correctly.

Untouched for generations, yet there are cell phones and satellite dishes, but I doubt there are microwave ovens.

I might hang my laundry out too if this was my view doing it.

The everyday view of spectacular Isnello, Sicily.

A Word about the Mafia.

People often ignorantly ask me if my family is in the mafia. You must know that this is a highly insulting question. There is nothing glamorous about organized crime, thugs, murder and the exploitation of the small merchant who must pay a large “protection fee” to thieves.

I’m a huge advocate of the small merchant, farmer, and restaurant owner. There is nothing glamorous living under siege.

The beautiful, warm, kind people of Sicily are not proud of the reputation of the few thugs that sweep their country and they are especially hurt and insulted to be asked if they are part of this darkness, as if it’s something to be proud of. I suppose our American culture that was captivated by the Sopranos is part of the blame.

The families living here born who are born in Sicily are appalled that Americans find that attractive. While we with some Sicilian blood are known to have a bit of a temper, most of us believe in God and follow his ways. After we have our little tirade, we get over it quickly, and cook up a nice meal and with a genuine and warm smile.

I started this post merely to talk about eggplant and reflecting back to my visit to Sicily struck a nerve. Now back to the food.

As I was eating my cousin’s eggplant, my question was “Why can they get that perfect char on a grilled eggplant and I can’t?” It must be part of the Sicilian heritage.

Spicy Eggplant sauce with spaghetti demonstrates how easy it is for Italians to put real food on the table  in thirty minutes.

This must be where I get my “quick fire” talents. While it’s nice to follow long, laborious recipes once in a while, it’s not me; it’s not realistic. I’m a gal who likes to have my hands in so many things at once that it’s nothing for me to be cooking and painting a room at the same time.

This recipe comes from Marcella Hazan’s Cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, my all time favorite cookbook.

This is the perfect going into Fall dish. Tell me, what is the comfort food you most crave this time of year (besides turkey)?

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Spaghetti with Spicy Eggplant Sauce and Isnello, Sicily

Marcella Hazan's Spicy Eggplant Tomato Sauce for pasta.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 large eggplant
• salt
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
• large canned imported Italian tomatoes
• chopped hot red chili pepper to taste
• 1 pound pasta

Instructions

• Peel Eggplant. Slice eggplant into medium slices. Salt, and allow to sit on paper towels. This will remove the water from eggplant and make frying much easier. Press moisture out using paper towels.
• Cut into 1 1/2 inch slices, fry in very hot oil. Cut into pieces. Drain again with paper towels.
• Saute garlic in olive oil until golden.
• Add tomatoes, parsley, chili pepper, salt and stir, simmering for about 25 minutes. Add cooked eggplant, cook a few more minutes.
• Cook pasta (spaghetti works best) al dente according to directions. Add spaghetti to the hot sauce to finish the last minute of cooking. This helps to marry the pasta and sauce.
• Serve with extra chili pepper on side. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.

The post Spaghetti with Spicy Eggplant Sauce and Isnello, Sicily appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This is a big, fat, healthy frittata, glowing with green and red veggies and sustaining you with fat from the sausage and protein from the eggs.  If you’re looking for an easy brunch or dinner using leftovers, this is one great idea, ready in mere minutes with very little prep.

Frittata di pasta is a “one pot” frittata, as it has the meat, veggies and starch all in one place.

Frittata di Spaghetti or Frittata di Pasta is something Italians eat frequently. They are not people who let food go to waste. Left over spaghetti, whatever meat or veggies are around all might be repurposed to orchestrate an outstanding egg frittata that tastes far from anything left over.

Frittata di Pasta uses left over spaghetti or macaroni.

The spaghetti adds a wonderful texture to the eggs, and the sausage adds flavor. You could also use a small macaroni. If you’re gluten free, the gluten free pasta works well too. 

I used country sausage, which we happen to love around here, but you can use whatever sausage you like. You can also leave out the sausage altogether for a vegetarian dish. Pasta and spinach work very nicely together all by themselves.

You could even change out the country sausage for prosciutto for a more Italian Frittata di Pasta.

We ate a lot of frittatas growing up, and always with a side salad, which can easily be prepared while the frittata is in the oven.

This sausage spaghetti frittata looks decadent and a bit gourmet, but it’s almost easier than opening a box. Use the pre-washed baby spinach, and you can even make your sausage in advance in the morning, and have use that night at dinner. There’s just no reason, even the simplest of meals can’t have a little wow factor.

I made something similar with broccoli and spaghetti here and you all seem to love this recipe. I’ve also made spinach frittata here.

Baked Spaghetti Broccoli Frittata

Sweet Potato Sausage Frittata with Sage

More Frittatas from Spinach Tiger

More Egg Recipes from Spinach Tiger

More Spaghetti Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Sausage Spaghetti Frittata

Left over spaghetti, meat, vegetables combine together to make the best frittata and an easy dinner.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 cups cooks spaghetti can use gluten free
• 8 eggs
• 1 cup baby spinach leaves
• 2 tablespoons diced red pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• generous dash black pepper
• 1/2 cup cheddar cheese

Tools Needed

• 10 inch baking dish or cast iron pan

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees
• Cook sausage according to package instructions. I like to bake them.
• Beat eggs with salt and pepper. Add half of shredded cheese to eggs.
• Put oil into pan.
• Pour eggs wth cheese mixture.
• Add spinach.
• Add cooked spaghetti. Even out.
• Add diced red pepper.
• Add sausage. Cover with more cheese.
• Bake for 20 minutes or until egg mixture does not jiggle and is golden brown.
• Cooking Notes:

Notes

You can make this in a rectangular pan and cut into squares.

The post Frittata di Spaghetti with Sausage and Spinach appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Spaghetti is so simple, so easy to make, so why am I telling you how to cook perfect spaghetti?

I’ve had bad, limp, soggy, overcooked spaghetti. That takes delicious and turns it into disaster.

I’ve decided to give a quick reminder for how to cook perfect spaghetti.

I’m also showing you some of my  favorite spaghetti and meatball recipes from modern to classic.

No matter what your tradition is, please cook the spaghetti right.

It absolutely cannot be overcooked or under-seasoned.

It is better for your digestion, and absorbs more slowly lowering the glycemic level.

 Spaghetti should have a bite to it, and some flavor.

Always use a LOT of water. Your spaghetti is less likely to stick, and will cook faster.

Salt right after water comes to a rapid boil and right before you add the spaghetti.

I have so many different takes on America’s favorite supper and I put them all in one place for you. These are not all of my spaghetti dishes, just spaghetti and meatball dishes. Before I show you that, I have to tell you something about my Italian family.

Growing up, we never ever ever ate meatballs with our spaghetti.

It was considered “americana” and simply wrong.

Pasta was a first course, served in a dish just like the picture above. That dish was then removed, spaghetti eating was done, and the meatballs came out and were served with salad. The meat never touched the pasta.

My Italian great grandmother, Carmella, brought this way of eating spaghetti and meatballs with her and it was nearly 80 before anyone broke with tradition.

I can’t exactly remember when we put the meatballs on top of the spaghetti, but I was an adult. To this day I like  my meatballs with salad, but I have also become fond of meatballs plopped on top of spaghetti.

Sometimes I like garden spaghetti, with no red sauce at all. This is a summery version.

Turkey meatballs help you cut the fat and can be pretty yummy for people avoiding red meat.

If red sauce is a must,  we need my Italian grandmother’s tomato sauce. (Way easier than you think).

Prosciutto meatballs with homemade papparadelle is comfort food on steroids. This is homemade pasta, which only takes about 3 minutes or less to cook.

A foodie delight, homemade poppy seed noodles with prosciutto veal meatballs and a blueberry pear compote is a recipe taken right from an Italian magazine and it’s mind blowing (even if it doesn’t look it).

Sometimes we take the leftovers and make a Spaghetti Pie.

Retro Rose can’t get enough of classic spaghetti and meatballs  You have to see the film clip in this post.

While nothing probably beats that classic take, but you could  go paleo using spaghetti squash and these paleo meatballs.

I just have to share with you this favorite spaghetti dish that has no meatballs at all, but it has bucatini pasta, a very thick hollow spaghetti that is my husband’s all time favorite. If you’ve never had bucatini, you must try this dish.

 Bucatini all’Amatriciana is a 45 minute sauce made with pancetta and onions.

How do you like your spaghetti ? You know I really love hearing from you in the comments, and I will answer any questions you have.

Connect with me on Pinterest to see more Spinach Tiger Italian food, and, of course, instagram.

Please subscribe to see everything. I post frequently and I would hate for you to miss.

If you are on Periscope, the new live streaming app, I’m going to be streaming live cooking Thanksgiving Dinner. It will be in five minute episodes, the weekend BEFORE thanksgiving! So please get the app and follow me. It’s interactive, and you can ask questions. It’s so much fun!

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How to Cook Perfect Spaghetti

How to make that perfect spaghetti that is not overcooked or under-seasoned.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 8 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 minutes minutes

Total Time 14 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound spaghetti
• large pot with lid
• 6 quarts water
• 2 teaspoons salt
• ladle and bowl
• collander

Instructions

• Bring water to a rapid boil
• Add salt
• Add Spaghetti
• Put lid on.
• Stir for first two minutes.
• Watch the water doesn't bubble over.
• You want that spaghetti boiling away to 3 minutes before package directions.
• Taste strand. It should have a bite.
• It will continue to cook in the sauce you put it in.
• Drain pasta, but first reserve a cup of starchy water, which may be used to add back in to the sauce.
• If using a tomato sauce, add some tomato sauce to pot, add spaghetti back in, and finish cooking a minute or so. Add in a little starchy water.

Notes

You will need to taste and test a few times to get this right.

The post My Favorite Spaghetti & Meatball Recipes appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

A good bolognese is one of the easiest dishes to make and one to easily get wrong. The easy is that most of the “getting it right” is cooking bolognese for at least 3 hours. If you really want to taste it at its peak, you will refrigerate it, heat it up and then get is full flavor and understand why this is a classic dish in Italy eaten so many ways.

Today, it’s a simple dish with spaghetti. It’s a great topping for crepes, polenta, wider noodles and inside lasagna. If you’re eating grain free, top it on potatoes, spaghetti squash or just eat it out of the bowl like I do.

I’ve told you about bolognese sauce before, taking up Marcella Hazan’s recipe and that’s still my inspiration for this sort of lighter version. I used mostly veal, threw in some ground pork, but, you could use ground turkey, ground beef etc. If you do use ground turkey, though, please throw in some pancetta or bacon to give some added flavor and fat.

Keep in mind that a true bolognese is not a tomato sauce with meat (the American meat sauce). It’s a meat sauce with some tomato, so in this case, I used diced tomatoes.

You can start this in a heavy dutch oven or big frying pan, and convert over to a crock pot, but whatever you do, don’t thrown all this in a crock pot at the beginning. One of the reasons, I don’t care too much for crock pot cooking is that almost all dish have to be started on top of the stove, and in that case, I just keep the dutch oven on very very very low for several hours. That’s where the crock pot can come in handy.

The only other suggestion I’ll make is to make a triple batch and freeze. If you’re already going to all the trouble of opening up a bottle of wine and chopping vegetables, you might as well  the most out of it.

I love you, my readers, and I would love to connect with you. Please find me on Instagram (where you get to see some non-food fun we do around here) and some food pictures that never make it. I also do some quick videos on Periscope with the name, SpinachTiger. xoxo

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Veal and Pork Bolognese with Spaghetti

A authentic Italian Bolognese made with ground veal and ground pork, white wine.

Course Veal Pork Bolognese

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 cup chopped celery
• 1 1/2 pounds ground veal
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 tablespoons butter
• black pepper freshly ground
• 2 cups whole milk
• freshly ground nutmeg
• 2 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups canned imported Italian plum tomatoes with juice chopped
• 2 tablespoons parsley or fresh basil
• 1 pound spaghetti
• freshly ground parmigiano reggiano

Instructions

• Melt butter into oil on medium heat.
• Add onions. Cook for a few minutes.
• Add carrots, celery. Saute for five minutes.
• Add meat, breaking up as necessary.
• Once meat is cooked through, add milk, and ground nutmeg.
• Once milk is evaporated, add wine.
• Once wine is cooked down, add tomatoes.
• Cook on low in slow cooker for 6 hours or on top of stove very low for three hours minimum.
• Add in fresh parsley or fresh basil, but remove before serving.
• Serve on pasta of your choice with parmigianna reggiano, freshly grated.

Notes

You can serve this with one pound of spaghetti.

More Great Recipes and Ideas for Bolognese

Bolognese over Polenta from the Paupered Chef

Bolognese with Crepes from Gavin’s Cooking

Green Lasagna with Bolognese from Spinach Tiger

Sloppy Joe’s with Bolognese from Spinach Tiger

The post Veal and Pork Bolognese with Spaghetti appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Let’s take a little Italian break. In between the sweet and aromatic flavors of Fall, I need salty, and in this very busy season, you probably need easy.

This is easy Italian comfort food. This is carbs. This is pasta. This is close your eyes food.

This is a dish you should  eat at least once in your life time, preferably in Italy.

But if you can’t get there this week, let me assure you that this does taste like what I had in Rome, only a little better, because I added some freshly made bread crumbs.

It’s a simple recipe, where it’s key to use very good ingredients.

If you want to know how to cook spaghetti carbonara with bacon, start with good ingredients. 

1. Buy a good spaghetti and cook it al dente. This is healthier, as starches are more slowly digested, and glucose is more slowly released into the blood stream. This is a bigger deal than you think, and eating seriously al dente might bring you pack to pasta. When you eat over-cooked pasta,  you will experience a peak in your blood sugar, and tend to eat more of everything. The Italians eat smaller portions of pasta than Americans which helps to explain why they are so thin compared to us, and they really are. In Rome, spaghetti alla carbonara almost has a crunch to it. We would think it was mistakenly not cooked, but it’s a wise way to enjoy pasta.
2. Use pancetta and fry it nice and crispy, but feel free to use a smokey bacon like Benton’s bacon. I used a little of both.
3. Use authentic Italian cheeses. Freshly grated pecorino romano and freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano will combine nicely, but if you must choose one, choose parmigiano-reggiano.
4. Use white wine and be sure to read my notes in the recipe. Wine and hot oil can be dangerous when combined.
5. Use very fresh eggs you buy at a farmer’s market or use pasteurized eggs. (some folks will disagree and think that the link between raw eggs and salmonella is a myth. I just don’t want to take chances with you.
6. Make sure to read the directions carefully, as to not turn the eggs into scrambled eggs.
7. Add the toasted breadcrumbs right at the end and enjoy.

About that Bacon

Pancetta may be called Italian bacon, but it’s quite different. It’s pork belly, not smoked,  cured in salts and spices. It has a pronounced flavor to it which often gives the dish its personality. While you can substitute bacon (for all the right reasons, do find one that has personality like Benton’s Bacon).

One of the more famous pasta dishes in Rome is  Pasta all’Amatriciana, which calls for tomatoes with pancetta and is ever so easy to make. Bolognese has pancetta, a long cooking dish,  this Ground Beef Italian Style, with kale and pancetta takes under twenty minutes.

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More Pasta Recipes

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How to Cook Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon and Bread Crumbs

A twist on pasta carbonara is tossing toasted bread crumbs at the end.

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 8 minutes minutes

Total Time 23 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 8 oz. pancetta bacon, either or, or both (sliced into 1/4” inch pieces)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 garlic cloves smashed
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 large eggs I used pasteurized, but you can use very good farm fresh eggs
• 1/4 cup freshly grated pecorino romano
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano
• black pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley
• 1 pound spaghetti

Instructions

• Fry garlic in oil until golden and then discard. Add pancetta (or bacon). I used half bacon and half pancetta, but you can do this anyway you like.
• Once crispy, add wine. Before you do that, lower the heat, so the oil and wine do not form a geyser. Be careful, as you add wine, having a lid in hand. Cook for 1 or two minutes. Turn off heat.
• Break three eggs in bowl you will serving spaghetti. Do NOT add pasta back into pot and add eggs, as eggs will cook.
• Beat eggs and add in grated cheeses, pepper and 2 tablespoons parsley.
• Reserve an extra tablespoon of parsley for garnish (along with a bit of micro greens).
• Cook pasta al dente, drain well. (See notes on cooking pasta)
• Add to bowl with beaten eggs and toss. Reheat pancetta and add to pasta. Serve at once

The post Seven Tips on How to Cook Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon and Bread Crumbs appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

Today is National Spaghetti and Meatball Day. To celebrate such an American comfort food event, I give you a recipe for spaghetti pie. And, yes it has meatballs in it.  This is a dish meant to use leftovers. If you don’t have leftover meatballs, you can, switch out the meatballs for pepperoni or skip the meat altogether, but my favorite recipe for spaghetti pie is with meatballs.

Spaghetti and meatballs is historic and legendary, because it was a dish that was never supposed to happen. Neither was a recipe for spaghetti pie. At least not made with meatballs.

We think spaghetti and meatballs is an Italian dish, but in reality, it’s as American as the Southern biscuit. I’ve eaten all over Italy and Sicily and there are not spaghetti and meatballs on the menu.

The marriage of the meatballs to spaghetti took place in the early part of the 20th century probably in New York and spread rapidly throughout the northeast. If you’re shaking your head because meatballs and spaghetti are clearly Italian, you are right, but the the reason this is an American dish, it’s that it was never eaten together in the same dish.

Meatballs, known as polpette are served as a second course with a vegetable or a salad, after spaghetti is eaten as a first course. Somehow the Italians who brought their delicious and novel cuisine to the American appetite, realized that Americans wanted meat and the marriage of pasta with meat was born. Yes, it’s true that in Italy there are dishes of pasta and meat. For example, a bolognese sauce is used for pasta and lasagna and there are meat stuffed pastas, but when it comes to spaghetti and meatballs, they were never meant for each other.

I grew up here in American as a third generation Italian American, and throughout my whole childhood, we never ate the meatballs with spaghetti, and while Italian restaurants broke those rules, many Italians kept to tradition in their homes.

Today, it’s different. We serve it all together, and I’ll have to agree with the American appetite in that it’s one of the best comfort foods ever invented. It’s one of the most requested birthday dinners for children and adults alike.

Putting this altogether into a recipe for spaghetti  pie is brilliant. Not my invention, nor is it any Italian invention either. This is what I love about America. We just never stop creating new ways to eat the food we love.

The easiest way to make this is with leftover spaghetti and meatballs and sauce. I usually keep a container in the freezer, and when the mood hits and I have a voracious appetite for comfort food, I make a spaghetti pie.

Here is my favorite EASY Homemade Tomato Sauce. (I won’t judge if you use store bought).

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Recipe for Spaghetti Pie

Spaghetti pie made with left over tomato sauce and meatballs, with options to use pepperoni.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 50 minutes minutes

Servings 6

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 6 - 8 meatballs or 16 slices of pepperoni recipe for meatballs here Also see body of post for more.
• 1/2 to 2/3 cups cooked spaghetti
• 1/4 cups freshly grated pecorino or parmesan cheese
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 cast iron pan or deep dish pie pan

Instructions

• Make spaghetti according to instructions minus 3 minutes. You will want the spaghetti very al dente, as it will finish cooking in the oven and as it cooks will soak in some of the sauce flavor.
• Slice meatballs, and put half on bottom of pan.
• Mix spaghetti with sauce and half of the mozzarella cheese. You can add more cheese if you want. The cheese will hold the pie together. You don't want it too saucy.
• Layer the spaghetti on top of the meatballs.
• Add the remaining meatballs, and mozzarella.
• Bake at 375 for 30 minutes or until the top cheese is melted.
• Serve with remaining parmesan cheese.
• Allow to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

The post Recipe for Spaghetti Pie appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

This past week I returned from Italy  still not satisfied as far as veal is concerned. I ate it several different ways, but not one single time with tomato. On the last night I ordered Osso Bucco in Milan, the signature dish of that fashionable city, waiting with eagerness for a bite of veal, delicately prepared with wine and tomato, falling off of my fork.

I was too late and they had none left.

A few days later I found myself in my  kitchen craving pasta and veal and set to work to create a veal sugo for spaghetti, a dish that has quickly moved up the ranks of my favorites. A dish, so easy to prepare, that I don’t understand how I didn’t ever make this before.

A dish inspired by Milan, but not typically found there.  Often the veal ossobucco is accompanied by risotto Milanese or polenta, a perfect companion to a rich tomato wine sauce. I once made Marcella Hazan’s recipe for Osso Buco here and served it over grits. Served with the traditional gremolada it was fantastic and the inspiration for today’s recipe.

This is one pasta dish that combines the protein with the pasta, much like a bolognese. So many Italian dishes separate these two, but I find this to be a most satisfying and comforting dish to celebrate Autumn when braising or slow cooking makes us all feel good.

You can make this on top of the stove or in the oven (as I did)  in a cast iron pot, or put it in the crock pot and forget about it.

Unlike many tomato sauce recipes, this has a meat broth and white wine.  While you will use the cheaper veal shoulder, don’t leave out the wine and broth because you don’t want to miss out on that complexity of flavor.

Get the Right Pasta for this Veal Italian Sauce Recipe

Enjoy this veal sugo on a wide noodle or a large spaghetti.  I found a brand at my loal grocery store, La Molisana, which I highly recommend. They’ve been in the pasta business since 1912, and produce a chewy pasta with a substantial bite.

If you happen to find La Molisana, the spaghetti is thick and so much better than anything you can find in any similar price point.

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More Italian Recipes from Spinach Tiger

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Italian Sauce Recipe with Veal, Tomato, White Wine

A veal sugo, similar to the flavors in Osso Buco with spaghetti.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time 3 hours hours

Total Time 3 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 1 pound veal shoulder hopefully with some bone
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup of chopped onion
• 3 carrots cubed
• 3 celery sticks diced
• 2 garlic cloves diced
• 1 1/2 cups meat broth or chicken broth
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 large can about 3 cups of chopped canned San Marzano Italian plum tomatoes
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• handful fresh Italian parsley
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Parmigiana reggiano
• 3-4 fresh sage leaves optional
• 1 pound spaghetti or wide noodle pasta order here

Instructions

• Flour veal, brown in pan with olive oil. Set aside.
• in heavy bottomed pan saute onion, celery, carrots in butter. After five minutes, add garlic.
• Add wine, and deglaze pan.
• Add broth and herbs.
• Place veal over vegetables.
• Add tomatoes and herbs.
• Braise for three hours on very low in dutch oven at 300 degrees or in crock pot. You can also do simmer on top of stove, until veal falls apart.
• Remove herbs. Discard.
• Remove veal. Trim fat and bone and flake into pieces to be place back into sauce.
• Cook pasta according to directions. Use a very large pot for your pasta. This will give you a good ratio of boiling water to pasta and the water will reboil quicker. Salt the pot with 2 tablespoons salt right before you put the pasta in the water. Do not overcook. The pasta should have a firm bite, not snappy, but firm.
• Toss with sauce and serve with fresh parmigiana reggiano cheese.

The post Italian Sauce Recipe with Veal, Tomato, White Wine appeared first on Spinach Tiger.

These squash blossoms are accompanied by yellow zucchini that grows in my backyard garden. It seemed such a shame not to eat the flowers that could dress up a dish like this. I showed you how to fry them here. I stuffed them with goat cheese here.

This is fried yellow squash with its blossoms. Fresh from the garden and so fun and tasty.

After giving the yellow squash a good salt bath and drawing out the moisture with paper towels, it was dredged in egg and flour and fried quickly. Backyard garden basil and parsley were added to the flour for flavor, and as soon as it topped on spaghetti that had olive oil and garlic, it got got a dose of pecorino romano cheese.
The squash blossom is prepared a little differently. I simply mix some water and flour together, and fry quickly.

This is such a pretty summer meal. Done in less than thirty minutes. Enjoy!

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Squash Blossoms with Spaghetti

Yellow Squash and Squash Blossoms top spaghetti for an elegant summer meal.

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Total Time 35 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Angela Roberts

Ingredients

• 4 squash blossoms fried Recipe here
• 4 yellow zucchini
• oil for frying
• 1 egg
• 1 cups flour
• handful of parsley and basil chopped
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 pound spaghetti
• 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese grated

Instructions

• Cut yellow squash in spears or coins, salt, leave for ten minutes, and drain with paper towels
• Mix flour with salt, pepper, chopped herbs.
• Put oil in pan up to 1/2 inch. Fry until golden brown.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Make spaghetti according to instructions. Drain, toss with olive oil, chopped garlic, and remaining herbs.
• Top with squash and squash blossoms.

Squash blossoms Recipe here.

The post Squash Blossoms with Yellow Squash and Spaghetti appeared first on Spinach Tiger.