Bread Sticks

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
2 tablespoons canola or EVOO
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
Italian Seasoning
egg wash (for browning)
parmisean or regiano cheese (topping)

Preheat oven to 375 F

Proof yeast for 10 minutes by placing the water in a ceramic or plastic cup along with the yeast, oil, and sugar.

While yeast is proofing, combine dry ingredients, flour, salt, Italian seasoning  by lightly mixing.

Once yeast has proofed, mix liquid with dry ingredients by hand until dough ball forms (for best results lightly oil your hands before mixing)

roll dough into a ball and set aside in a bowl loosely covered by plastic wrap for 10 minutes or until doubled in size then pound out, seperate into 8 equal sections of dough, like playdough, create long dough sticks out of each of the sections, place on counter, allow to rise 10 minutes, before brushing egg wash on top of breadsticks. Bake for 15-18 minutes, then sprinkle cheese over top.

Spaghetti Carbonara

4 ounces uncooked pasta

(spaghetti, linguine, or whatever else your little heart desires)

1/2 cup milk, cream, or half-and-half

3 Tablespoons parmesan cheese


1 Tablespoon chopped, fresh Italian parsley


1/8 teaspoon salt, or to taste


Ground, black pepper, to taste (we like to use lots)


4 to 5 strips crumbled bacon


1/4 cup onion, chopped


1 clove garlic, minced


1-2 eggs, lightly beaten






Remember to quadruple the sauce recipe if your using an entire lb of pasta!


Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente (just done, but not too mushy). Drain pasta and reserve 1/4 cup cooking liquid.






While pasta is boiling, combine milk, parmesan, parsley, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and set it aside.






In a skillet, fry bacon and remove from pan. Drain out most of bacon fat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until softened. Reduce heat to medium-low and add milk mixture and pasta to pan.






In a small bowl, beat egg with a whisk and add the 1/4 cup of reserved hot water. This will temper the egg so it won't immediately scramble upon hitting the hot skillet. Stir egg into pasta. Crumble bacon and add to pasta. Cook for about five minutes, stirring constantly until sauce is creamy.






Serve with buttery garlic bread and salad.

Pasta Primavera With Chicken (Rachel Ray)

http://www.rachaelray.com/recipe.php?recipe_id=4096

This is really good, makes more like 6-8 servings. I could not find the egg pasta she was calling for, used extra wide egg noodles, and I also used 4 thin boneless skinless chx breast (meat)/ 1c chx stock(pasta) instead of bone in skin on chix breast as I could not find this cut. Would recommend using more than one lemon zest & juice for pasta garnish. This took 1 1/2 hr prep and apx 2 hours cooking.


For the chicken:
1 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast (a full breast with 2 breasts attached, about 2-2 1/2 pounds)
1 medium onion, cut into quarters
1 small lemon, sliced
1 carrot, cut into quarters
2 ribs celery, cut into quarters
2 large bay leaves
A small bundle of parsley, thyme and rosemary


For the pasta primavera:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
3 tablespoons butter
2 small or 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
1 small zucchini, trimmed and cut into 2-inch matchsticks
1 large or 2 small leek, trimmed, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle or chopped into matchsticks, washed and dried
3-4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and white pepper or finely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 1/2 cups chicken stock (poaching liquid)
1 box frozen peas, defrosted
1 pound egg tagliatelle
A handful of parsley, thyme leaves and rosemary, very finely chopped
1 lemon
Grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, for topping


Serves 4


PREPARATION


To poach the chicken, place the chicken, onion, lemon, carrot, celery, bay leaves and herb bundle in a pot. Cover the chicken with water and bring to boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain and reserve the poaching liquids; cool the chicken to handle. Remove the skin and bones, then pull the meat into thin, bite-size pieces.

For the pasta, heat the EVOO, one turn of the pan, with the butter over medium heat. Add the carrots, zucchini, leeks and garlic; season with salt and white pepper and sauté to tender, 6-7 minutes. Sprinkle the veggies with flour and stir for a minute more. Deglaze the pan with wine, then stir in 2 cups of the reserved poaching liquid. Thicken to lightly coat a spoon; add in the chicken and peas and reduce the heat to low.


Bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Add salt and cook the pasta to al dente. Drain and toss with the chicken and sauce, adding an additional 1/2 cup poaching liquid if the pasta gets too tight.


Zest the lemon and combine with the finely chopped herbs. Juice the lemon into the pasta and serve in shallow bowls topped with the gremolata and some cheese.