Stars & Stripes Pasta

At first, it wasn't so much of a celebration as it was a whim surrounding what we already had in the house--including a visiting bunch of our neighbor's feisty children--that brought our bowtie pasta, spaghetti, a jar of Prego sauce (click here for homemade suggestions) and ground beef to the table. We were a little on the early side for Fourth of July, but the little ones lit up like firecrackers at the display of our dish just the same!

I always maintain that a little ingenuity is a vital ingredient in the kitchen and so, a simple dish of spaghetti acted as patriotic stripes of pasta and the bowties served as our stars. Our handsome ground beef came courtesy of Butcher Box (a sort of 'Meat-of-the-Month' Club) and naturally we wrapped it all up in a vibrant red sauce!

Happy Fourth of July, everybody!

Red Eye Gravy Two Ways

In the photo above, red eye gravy is tossed with a number of ingredients to make a slightly pink pasta sauce encouraged by heavy cream, but let's start with the basics. A perfectly good recipe for classic Ham with Red Eye Gravy served with grits may be found here, courtesy of Paula Deen. Usually I reserve making grits with grits for Derby Day but I was duly inspired to make this gravy (without ham!) and serve it with steak instead over grits for something more autumnal. See below for Notes on a Side Dish with Brussels sprouts!

The recipe for the Red Eye is fairly simple. For enough gravy to serve four:

1 (3-pound) country ham, store bought, sliced
2 tablespoons fat from the ham
1/2 cup coffee
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1 beef bouillon cube (optional)

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the fat from the ham and render. When the fat is rendered, add the ham steaks and pan-fry until golden brown on both sides. Remove the ham from the pan and set aside on a plate and keep warm. To the pan, add the coffee and water and stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the butter and the bouillon cube and stir to incorporate. Serve the gravy over the ham steaks on grits.

I followed this somewhat but instead prepared a London Broil with lots of pepper and salt to go under the broiler, cooking as per package instructions. But first! I browned my steak (not ham) in a large skillet with some butter and smoked turkey wings, capturing the flavors before removing the steak and wings and deglazing the pan as the recipe suggests. I made the grits, per Deen (using only a tablespoon of butter, not 1/2 cup!) while my steak broiled and the gravy simmered. I then served the steak over the grits covered with the gravy. Deen mentions grits that need to simmer for 30 minutes but the Quaker brand does make quicker grits that only require about 5-7 minutes time.

To go beyond with a terrific pasta, try using the gravy as a solid foundation for sauce, as I did. While the pasta water was boiling, I trotted out more smoked turkey wings and added cubed pancetta too.  I removed these before deglazing the pan with the coffee and water. I whisked in a judicious amount of heavy cream over medium low heat until thickened and added frozen peas (fresh certainly welcome) until warmed. Once the pasta was just al dente, I drained then tossed in grated pecorino cheese and topped with chopped chives and mint that I shredded by hand. A little fresh black pepper and dinner was served!

NOTES ON A SIDE DISH:  I found shaved Brussels Sprouts at the market and tossed them with a little oil and salt in a skillet until slightly browned. They will simmer down so plan on a large handful of sprouts per person before going into the skillet. Once browned, add about a  1/4 cup of water in to the mix, stir and cover over low heat for about 7-10 minutes. A delicious complement to the pasta--oh, and dessert was a delightfully Dalmatian dish of orange yogurt with figs.

Impromptu Pasta

Part classic amatriciana, part arrabiata, this smoky, spicy sauce that I poured over pasta shells did the trick when Reggie stopped by the other evening. Stock your pantry, load your larder and freeze your perishables to create a memorable meal at a moment's notice!

Impromptu Pasta

Serves at least two

Ingredients

1/2 pound Barilla medium shell pasta, to harbour the sauce

6 strips bacon

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 very large shallot or perhaps 2 medium shallots, coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 cup dried slivered onions, or 1/2 fresh onion, chopped

1 28 oz. can of Redpack crushed tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock

2 teaspoons Sriracha hot chili sauce
Probably more than you meant to use of Stubb's Liquid Smoke (maybe 2 tablespoons)

1 teaspoon sugar

Freshly ground salt and pepper to taste

Plenty of grated Parmesan for topping

Method

Start by boiling the water for the pasta.

In a large skillet, fry the bacon over medium heat and remove when appropriately browned, placing on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb the excess grease. Reserve the bacon fat from the skillet for another use.

Add the olive oil to the skillet and cook the shallots for a few minutes until tender. Throw in the garlic until fragrant, just a few minutes more. If you have a freshly chopped onion, put it in now.

Deglaze your pan with the wine, moving the shallots and garlic around. Add in the dried onions here if that's what you have.

Pour in the crushed tomatoes and bring to a fine simmer.
The rest is very simple: add in the vegetable stock, chili sauce, liquid smoke, salt, pepper, sugar and let your sauce thicken, about 20 minutes or so. Chop up the bacon or just crush it in your hands and throw that in as well.

When the pasta has cooked, stir a ladleful of the pasta water into the sauce to bind it and toss with the pasta.

Find a grand dish to serve it in, top with the Parmesan and enjoy!