Quick, Easy and Yummy

[oceanloverOH]

Heading up to the store for some ingredients....tonight's menu is Spaghetti Carbonara. This is my own recipe, developed in my attempt to copy this dish from an Italian restaurant in Germany in the 80s.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 small-medium sweet onion, chopped
1 Tbl butter or margarine
1 Tbl minced garlic/1 tsp coarse ground black pepper OR 1½ Tbl Lawry’s Garlic Pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk (I use 1% or 2%)
1 4.5 oz jar Green Giant sliced mushrooms (with juice) (optional)
6-8 slices of THICK SLICED bacon
½ lb chicken tenders or boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup frozen green peas
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
4 servings spaghetti noodles

Put butter in small saucepan and add onions. Mix in the garlic and pepper. Sauté onions over medium heat until transparent but not brown. Mix soup, milk and mushrooms (if using) in large saucepan; mix in contents of onion pan. Cook bacon till not quite crisp; tear or cut cooked and cooled bacon into fingernail-sized pieces and add to sauce. Grill or fry chicken tenders in olive oil till done; drain and add to sauce. Simmer over low heat for about 15 min, stirring often. Stir in the frozen peas and parsley flakes, some Lawry's Garlic Pepper may be added if needed, to taste. Continue simmering over low heat, stirring often, while cooking pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well. Serve sauce atop pasta.

This recipe serves about 4, and is easily doubled. Refrigerate or freeze leftover sauce and cook fresh pasta next time.

[Heyduke]

Heading up to the store for some ingredients....tonight's menu is Spaghetti Carbonara. This is my own recipe, developed in my attempt to copy this dish from an Italian restaurant in Germany in the 80s.



No self-respecting German-Italian mother would use Green Giant mushrooms, skinless chicken, frozen peas, garlic-pepper, parsley 'flakes' and 1% milk. :smiley:

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/6c/6cba09bcd4093368ceaee6c368c5fb663d0c18fcda1d03dd54 c76949a6603aed.jpg

[Heyduke]

I was actually planning to make pasta tonight. Maybe I'll use your recipe but sub in half-and-half, fresh parsley, garlic cloves, 100% chicken skin, and fresh celery for the frozen peas. I would normally pick mushrooms but we haven't had rain here in about a gillion years so there's no shrooms.

[oceanloverOH]

No self-respecting German-Italian mother would use Green Giant mushrooms, skinless chicken, frozen peas, garlic-pepper, parsley 'flakes' and 1% milk. :smiley:

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/6c/6cba09bcd4093368ceaee6c368c5fb663d0c18fcda1d03dd54 c76949a6603aed.jpg
Heyduke, I didn't say the restaurant made the Carbonara like this....they probably used pancetta, real cream, fresh mushrooms, shelled their own peas from their garden, and made their pasta noodles from scratch. However, it's how I make it; and how hubby and I like it. If you have the time and want to make it with alternative ingredients.......go for it. I have a friend who mixes in about 2 Tbsp sour cream at the very end of the cooking time.....

[Heyduke]

I was being a bit facetious. There's something to be said for quick and easy recipes, and not feeding your husband gobs and gobs of fat. I like dishes that require 1 pot or pan, and then I can throw away the pan afterwords. Just kidding.

[Mister D]

Peas freeze remarkably well.

[Peter1469]

where is the egg white (southern Italy, or entire egg north Italy)- that is the hard part, timing it so it doesn't turn into rubber.


Heading up to the store for some ingredients....tonight's menu is Spaghetti Carbonara. This is my own recipe, developed in my attempt to copy this dish from an Italian restaurant in Germany in the 80s.

Spaghetti Carbonara

1 small-medium sweet onion, chopped
1 Tbl butter or margarine
1 Tbl minced garlic/1 tsp coarse ground black pepper OR 1½ Tbl Lawry’s Garlic Pepper
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 soup can of milk (I use 1% or 2%)
1 4.5 oz jar Green Giant sliced mushrooms (with juice) (optional)
6-8 slices of THICK SLICED bacon
½ lb chicken tenders or boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup frozen green peas
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
4 servings spaghetti noodles

Put butter in small saucepan and add onions. Mix in the garlic and pepper. Sauté onions over medium heat until transparent but not brown. Mix soup, milk and mushrooms (if using) in large saucepan; mix in contents of onion pan. Cook bacon till not quite crisp; tear or cut cooked and cooled bacon into fingernail-sized pieces and add to sauce. Grill or fry chicken tenders in olive oil till done; drain and add to sauce. Simmer over low heat for about 15 min, stirring often. Stir in the frozen peas and parsley flakes, some Lawry's Garlic Pepper may be added if needed, to taste. Continue simmering over low heat, stirring often, while cooking pasta. Cook pasta according to package directions and drain well. Serve sauce atop pasta.

This recipe serves about 4, and is easily doubled. Refrigerate or freeze leftover sauce and cook fresh pasta next time.

[oceanloverOH]

where is the egg white (southern Italy, or entire egg north Italy)- that is the hard part, timing it so it doesn't turn into rubber.

That's why I don't use any egg in it.

[Peter1469]

That's why I don't use any egg in it.


But the egg is good!

[shaarona]

Peas freeze remarkably well.

I don't do mushy peas unless I am doing pea soup.

[Captain Obvious]

I love mushy pea soup, the really thick, strong, salty kind.

[Mister D]

I don't do mushy peas unless I am doing pea soup.

Different legume. Sweet peas are sweet (obviously) and field peas have an earthy flavor.

[Mister D]

I love mushy pea soup, the really thick, strong, salty kind.

My dad likes it like that. I prefer it thin.

[oceanloverOH]

My dad likes it like that. I prefer it thin.

Hubby likes split pea soup so thick that a spoon will nearly stand up by itself in the pot. I prefer it a bit thinner too. So I make it thick, and add just a little chicken broth to my portion to thin it....and we're both happy!

[Mister D]

Hubby likes split pea soup so thick that a spoon will nearly stand up by itself in the pot. I prefer it a bit thinner too. So I make it thick, and add just a little chicken broth to my portion to thin it....and we're both happy!

It needs a strongly flavored meat too, IMO.

[oceanloverOH]

It needs a strongly flavored meat too, IMO.

I like a Bluegrass Smoked Cottage Ham Butt chopped up into it....salty and smoky, complements the pea soup nicely.

[Mister D]

I like a Bluegrass Smoked Cottage Ham Butt chopped up into it....salty and smoky, complements the pea soup nicely.

Yes! That. It's gotta be a smokey flavor. The earthy pea taste is very strong so even bacon won't cut it.

[Polecat]

Peas are good any way they come. Fresh out of the pod to cooked to squat, I'll eat em till they're gone.

[oceanloverOH]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A90eiaTQUmk

I know, I know.......I'm weird.