Spaghetti Carbonara is one of my favorite meals. It’s easy to make and it has bacon in it…what more can a girl ask for? I also love Spaghetti Carbonara because the recipe can be adapted for one person or a crowd without a lot of fuss. You can use whatever type of pasta you have on hand (I used whole wheat spaghetti for the dish pictured) and I like to use pancetta instead of bacon when it’s on sale.
Ingredients
2 oz. Dry Spaghetti (or other pasta)
2 strips of bacon
1 clove of garlic, chopped
1 egg
2 teaspoons, parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon, pepper
Parsley (preferably fresh) to garnish
Instructions
- Cook pasta to al dente according to package instructions.
- While pasta is cooking, add bacon to a skillet and cook for about two minutes. Then crumble bacon and return it to the pan along with chopped garlic. Cook for two more minutes.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg with parmesan cheese and pepper.
- Drain pasta and add it directly to the skillet with the bacon and garlic. Remove the pan from heat.
- Pour the egg mixture over the pasta and continuously toss the pasta in the egg mixture as it thickens. Be sure to toss the pasta quickly to be sure that the egg doesn’t scramble.
- Garnish with parsley and additional cheese.
I’ve had a crazy schedule over the last few weeks (and I’m sorry that I couldn’t fit blogging into it). Easy meals have become a lifesaver and one of my favorites is Taco Soup. If you know how to open a can, you can make this soup.
The great thing about this recipe is that it freezes really well. I eat a couple of servings and then spoon the rest into muffin tins. Put the muffin tins in your freezer and let the soup freeze. Pop out the frozen soup out of the tins and place the individual servings into a freezer bag. The frozen soup will cook within a few minutes on the stove or in the microwave and will keep in the freezer for up to four months.
Taco Soup (adapted from Paula Deen Magazine)
Ingredients
1 lb of ground turkey
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 (14.5-oz) cans of diced tomatoes, with juice
1 (16-oz) can kidney beans, drained
1 (16-oz) can pinto beans, drained
1 (15.25-oz) can corn, drained
1 (15-oz) can black beans, drained
1 (14.5-oz) can chicken broth
1 (1.25) oz packet taco season mix
1 (1.25) oz packet ranch dressing mix
Instructions
- Brown turkey meat with onion and garlic over medium-high heat. Drain well.
- Put turkey meat mixture and the remaining ingredients in a crockpot and cook on low for five to six hours. If you don’t have a crockpot, simmer in a pot on low for one hour.
- Serve soup with cheese, jalapenos, sour cream or anything else that you might have on a taco.
