Ready for your new favorite dinner? This insanely delicious pasta is a total winner. Each bite is loaded with flavorful Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, and sweet peas in a marinara sauce. I love when simple ingredients come together to make beautiful food.

It is basically a version of “Pantry Pasta.” I put together things I normally have in the house to create a blow your mind meal. This pasta came about when I was in a pinch making Lily’s school lunch. I rummaged around the refrigerator, started to cook, and created a pasta so good I almost didn’t send it to school with her!

When something is really drop dead delicious, I call it “bite of the night.” This pasta will no doubt be your new favorite “bite of the night.”

Enjoy!

-xo

One of my favorite things about summer is the beautiful produce that bursts onto the scene. My heart skips a beat when I wander through Farmers Markets and find my lifelong obsession: tomatoes.

When I was a little girl, I would eat them whole like apples. I loved making my own special sandwich with bread, a slather of mayonnaise, layers of sliced tomatoes, and a nice sprinkling of salt. These days, I toss tomatoes into pasta, layer them on open faced sandwiches, and eat them by the handful. Out of season, I’ll roast plum tomatoes in the oven to tease out the flavor. Roasted tomatoes are amazing in things like pasta or a delicious Roasted Tomato Soup.

This simple summer pasta is one of my favorites. It’s loaded with seasonal tomatoes, fresh herbs, and Parmesan cheese. I love the simplicity of using just a few basic ingredients to create something really special. The tomatoes are cooked until softened but just before they break. The herbs offer a fresh, bright note and the addition of cheese is subtle but great.

Enjoy!

“I’m V.P. of Travel and Logistics. I’m also in charge of Dining Services Worldwide.” One of my funniest friends actually sent this in when her college asked her to detail what she has been doing with her life the last few years. As a mom with two kids, she pretty much nailed the job description, don’t you think? While I got a good laugh out of her alibi, the truth is she really summed up the life of a busy mom. With pick ups at two schools, sports, playdates, doctor appointments, and the occasional haircut, often times, we well-intentioned moms have zero time to make dinner.

There isn’t a mom who talks to me about food who doesn’t ask me how I get dinner on the table each night. The truth is, I’m a mom not a magician. Even with a great culinary education under my belt, I take short cuts…and cheat. No one gets bonus points for making everything from scratch! My family just wants a good dinner after a long day. It’s how we relax, connect, and recharge before homework, shower, and bed.

Since Julia Child and James Beard aren’t likely to swing by for dinner, I put meals like this on the table when I don’t want to hear, “Please pull forward to the first window.” This one is quick, easy, and super delicious. You don’t need to prepare the sauce in advance, but if I’m home for a bit during the day, it’s easy to throw together. That way, when I walk in the door from carpool, all I have to do is make pasta and heat up the sauce. Round out this meal with a crusty loaf of bread and a simple salad and you are good to go.

It will be our little secret that it took less than 30 minutes…
Shhh and enjoy!

Bacon Pasta started years ago at my son’s friend Harry’s house. The boys met the first day of kindergarten and became fast friends. Almost a decade later, an invitation to Harry’s house is like winning the lottery for Jake; they swim, shoot hoops, play video games, and eventually, eat Harry’s Mom’s Famous Bacon Pasta. Harry’s mom shared the recipe with me but it just wasn’t exactly the same for Jake. It was hard to match how much better something tastes after a special day with a great friend. Over the years, I finally gave up on trying to perfect Harry’s Mom’s Bacon Pasta and developed my own version.

Food is like that, isn’t it? It makes simple every day things like a play date more special and helps to flavor our memories. Food creates a sensory imprint for us that lasts a lifetime. I have vivid, delicious memories of the food I ate while visiting our dearest family friends. I can tell you about the special chili on New Year’s Day from Auntie Joan or the perfect summer Wisconsin corn at Auntie Dianne’s house. I’m sure you have your family favorites but make room for one more. This Spaghetti Carbonara is a warm, comforting classic that you will love.

I started experimenting with different versions of Bacon Pasta and settled on this Spaghetti Carbonara. The recipe is pretty flexible and over the years, I increased the amount of pancetta so that no one is feeling short changed in the pancetta department. Sometimes I make it with a thick cut of pancetta from the butcher that I dice up myself, and other times, I go old school and just roll with the bacon I have on hand in the fridge. Go with whatever sounds good to you. We like this with a simple green salad and garlic bread.

Enjoy.