Gnocchi with Pancetta and Beans

Tuesday is turning into "pasta night" at my house and I've been on a quest to make it more than just a red sauce kind of thing.  I found some beautiful green beans and diced pancetta at the market today and thought the saltiness would pair well with a potato, so we ended up with gnocchi.  This is quick and easy and oh, so, delicious.

Here's what you'll need:

5 oz diced pancetta
1 pint green beans
17 oz pkg of gnocchi
2 TBSP butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c shredded Parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Bring 4 quarts of salted water to boil in a large saucepan.  Trim the ends off the beans and cut into 1" pieces.

Cook the beans for 2 minutes.  Remove from the water with a spider or slotted spoon and immerse in ice water.  This stops the cooking and keeps the beans' green color.  Set aside.

Bring the water back to a boil.

Cook the pancetta in a large skillet, over low heat, until it's crisp.

Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.  Set aside.

Add the butter to the skillet.  Over low heat cook the garlic just until fragrant.

Add the beans a saute lightly.

Meanwhile, add the gnocchi to the boiling water.  Cook 2-3 minutes or until they float.  Remove with a slotted spoon or a spider, and put into the skillet with the beans.

Add the pancetta and toss.

Add the Parmesan cheese and the pepper, stirring to coat all the gnocchi, adding 1-2  spoons of the pasta water, if needed, to form a sauce.

Serves 3-4.

Enjoy!

Rigatoni with Sun-dried Tomatoes and Bacon Alfredo

Pasta night has become a weekly occurrence at our house.  Even with all the variations available, it can still become a little old, so I'm always looking for new ways to freshen it up.  Tonight I settled on rigatoni with a creamy Alfredo sauce.  You can make your own Alfredo from scratch, but to make it quick and easy on a work night I used a jarred variety.  I had dinner on the table in under 30 minutes.

Here's what you'll need:

1/2 pkg Rigatoni pasta
5 strips of bacon
4-5 slices of sun-dried tomato, in oil
1 jar garlic Alfredo
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cook pasta according to package directions.  While it cooks, dice the bacon and brown it in a large saute pan.

Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside.

When the bacon is crispy, place on paper towels to dry. Drain the grease, leaving about 1 TBSP in the pan.

Add 1 TBSP butter, olive oil or oil from the tomatoes to the bacon drippings.  Add the tomatoes and cook until they soften a little.  Stir in the pepper and jarred Alfredo sauce.  I used the garlic kind to give it an extra kick of flavor.

Warm gently, but don't boil.

When the pasta is cooked, use a slotted spoon to transfer it into the skilled with the sauce.

Gently stir until the pasta is all coated with the sauce.

Fold in the bacon and serve.

Serves 4.

Enjoy!

Pasta with Pancetta and Sweet Corn

I was looking for a pasta dish to use some pancetta I bought at the farmer's market recently.  I rummaged through the fridge and found some corn and Parmesan and this creamy, flavorful dish was born.

Here's what you'll need:
8 oz pancetta (bacon can be substituted, but will be smokier)
2 TBSP Butter
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 c finely chopped onion
1 ear sweet corn, about 1 cup kernels (can use frozen)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c half-&-half
3 TBSP Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
8 oz dry pasta (I used linguine)

Preheat oven to 350.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and arrange the pancetta on top.

Bake until crispy, 10 -12 minutes.

Blot on paper towels, then crumble.  Set aside.

Cook the past to al dente, according to the package directions.

While the pasta is cooking, heat the oil and butter in a large skillet (you need a skillet large enough to toss the pasta with the sauce) over medium heat.  Add the onion; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until the onion begins to soften, about 5 minutes.  Turn heat to low.

Add the corn kernels and garlic, cooking until the corn is warmed through.

Add the half-&half and the Parmesan cheese.  Stir well.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Do not boil, just heat through.  Add 3/4 of the pancetta to the skillet.  Mix well.

When the pasta is cooked, add it to the sauce in the skillet.  Stir well to coat all the noodles.
Serve sprinkled with remaining pancetta.

Makes 2-3 servings.

Enjoy!