Shrimp And Pancetta Over Spinach Pappardella

  I love spinach pasta, I found some pappardelle at my favorite farmers market over the weekend so this is what I came up with on this pretty spring night in April.

1 lb of shrimp peeled and deveined 

1/4 lb of pancetta diced

3 handfuls of baby spinach

1/2 lb spinach pasta of your choice

1 tablespoon of butter

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 cup of white wine, chicken stock or water

olive oil

salt, pepper and adobo

First crisp up the diced pancetta and remove from the pan to drain on a paper towel. Next season the shrimp with salt, pepper and adobo add a little oil to the pan, add the shrimp and sear on both sides, remove and set aside. Now add the butter to the pan melt it and deglaze the pan with wine, chicken stock or water, add the cream and simmer on low. Meanwhile cook the pasta and add to the sauce with the shrimp, heat through and now add the spinach until wilted. Heat through and top with the pancetta. 

*Tonight I served this with a spinach and tomato salad with burrata

**garlic bread is a must!!

***a nice glass of wine too!!!

Stuffed Artichokes

     I went to my local farmers market and found this amazingly large lion artichoke for $3, I just had to take him home. I decided to prepare it like my grandfather Girolamo (Jerry) from Caserta always prepared bella carciofo. I made a simple stuffing of bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, olive oil, salt and pepper. Specific amounts depends on your taste, set this mixture aside. Now prepare the artichoke for stuffing by cutting about 1/4 inch off the top and spreading the leaves open and season inside with salt and pepper. Next remove the center leaves and the choke, I just pull the thin leave out with my hands and scrape the choke thistle out with a spoon. Next grab the stuffing in you hand, messy but the only way, and pack it in tight into every nook and cranny and a big handful in the center. I placed it into  a heavy stock pot, added water until it comes about 1/4 of the way up on the artichoke and drizzled more olive oil on top. Cover and steam until an outside leave pulls out freely. This one took over an hour because it was so large but if you have several small ones it will cook faster. You can place it under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the top if you like. You can also add thing to the water like wine, olives, capers ect... I hope you try artichokes this way!!
*make sure you have a nice loaf of crusty bread to soak up the juices

Bacon and Tomato Hash with Eggs

    Tonight's dinner was spontaneous, and those are the one's that are most memorable. I was craving eggs, paired with a simple hash and a little spice, total perfection!!

1 yukon gold potato peeled and finely diced

3 strips of bacon chopped and fried crisp

2 tablespoons of red onion diced finely

1 jalapeno diced finely (seeded optional)

1 tomato seeded and diced

1 green onion sliced

1 tablespoon parsley minced

eggs (I used 3 but 4 or 5 is fine)

seasoning for the potato hash, adobo, sazon, tajin, smoked paprika, salt and pepper all to taste

   First I fried the bacon until crisp removed from the skillet and drained on a paper towel. Next add the potatoes to the bacon grease and season to taste. When the potatoes are crispy add the red onion and jalapenos, cook another 3-5 minutes until veggies are soft. Add the diced tomatoes and cook another 3-5 minutes until the tomatoes are heated through. Now crack the eggs on top, cover and cook until your desire of done, I like mine really runny barely cooked, just until the whites are set. Garnish with reserved bacon, green onion and parsley.

*you can serve this with toast, rolls or  tortillas

**adobo, sazon and tajin are all hispanic seasonings you can google them

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Pasta With Broccoli, Garlic And Lemon

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Pasta With Broccoli, Garlic And Lemon: This is my take on pasta with broccoli and garlic. With the additions of a few of my favorite things I transformed this ordinary dish into...

Pasta With Broccoli, Garlic And Lemon

This is my take on pasta with broccoli and garlic. With the additions of a few of my favorite things I transformed this ordinary dish into something a little off the beaten path. If you haven't guessed from my blogs title I love capers and try to sneak them into recipes where ever I can. 
for the sauce:
2 small crowns of fresh broccoli (about 4 cups chopped)
5 cloves of garlic chopped
1 cup sliced olives
2-3 tablespoons of capers
1/4 cup olive oil
add all to a skillet and cook until the broccoli is the tenderness you desire, then add
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of heavy cream 
1 tablesspoon lemon juice
and season with salt and pepper

Keep warm meanwhile boil any pasta of your choice, the possibilities are endless anything will work. I also made my favorite topping for pasta dishes made with olive oil based sauces, give or take a few ingredients.
for the topping:
1 cup of panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp lemon zest
1 tablespoon grated romano cheese
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 tsp hot red pepper flakes
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
toss together and set aside
when the pasta is done toss it in the skillet with the sauce and add some of the pasta water if it's too dry. Plate, top with the panko mixture and enjoy.
*serve with a nice salad and garlic bread
**add a nice dessert and it's a perfect dinner party!!

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Shrimp and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes over Barley Riso...

Carla's Kitchen Capers: Shrimp and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes over Barley Riso...: Tonight's Tuesday night's dinner can easily be a Saturday night dinner party dinner. It came together so easy and tastes like a fa...

Shrimp and Yellow Cherry Tomatoes over Barley Risotto

Tonight's Tuesday night's dinner can easily be a Saturday night dinner party dinner. It came together so easy and tastes like a fancy night out. 
For the shrimp:
1 lb of shrimp
equal amount per count of shrimp of yellow (or red) cherry tomatoes
2 cloves of garlic sliced
1 tablespoon of chopped parsley 
1/4 cup white wine
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoon butter diced
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
Place shrimp in a baking dish add tomatoes and layer the rest of the ingredients.
For the topping:
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs mixed with
1 tsp lemon zest 
1 tablespoon olive oil
salt and pepper
bake shrimp mixture about 20 min, top with panko bake another 10 min or until hot and bubbly.
For barley risotto:
1/2 cup barley
1 shallot diced
1/4 cup white wine
2 14 oz cans of chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons parmesan 
salt and pepper to taste
follow basic risotto recipe.
* add saffron to risotto to make it extra special