Creamy Leek, Asparagus, and Bacon Tagliatelle

Writing definitely does not come easily to me. Sometimes it is SO difficult for me to write up a recipe. I'll have my photos all edited and inserted into the post, only to have them sit in a draft for days because I cannot think of how to begin.

I've struggled with this for over 6 years of blogging. 

I love telling you guys how much I enjoyed a dish, but often times words fail me. Thank you for coming back time and again to read my awkward posts. Thank you for the encouraging (and challenging) comments that you leave. 

Now let me try to describe this awesome pasta.

Before cooking this dish, I had never worked with leeks. I had to look up a video to learn how to clean and chop them. This charming vegetable comes into season in the early spring, so I thought it would be a good choice to share a recipe here on Buttered Side Up that included them. Asparagus is also in season, so I picked up a bunch at the grocery store. Then I realized that they would be a lovely addition of green to my pasta.

The resulting combination of creamy, salty, starchy and fresh made for one delicious meal.

The beauty of this pasta is that it can easily be customized to your preferences. I really like green peas in carbonara. I've never tried it myself, but the recipe I based this pasta off of calls for pancetta. And you don't HAVE to use Tagliatelle - use whatever pasta you have on hand! 

If you decide to make my pasta, make sure to share and tag me on Twitter, Instagram, or leave a comment with a link to your post!

NOTE: If you like crispy bacon, make sure to only add the bacon to the pasta at the end of cooking. I didn't do this, but I definitely will next time.

Creamy Leek, Asparagus and Bacon Tagliatelle

adapted from Blogging Over Thyme | serves 3-4 (depending on how hungry you are) | PRINT

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 ounces bacon, finely diced
• 1/2 of a leek, finely sliced
• 1/2 cup (7.5 ounces) asparagus, cut on the bias
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• salt, to taste
• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 8 ounces Tagliatelle pasta

Directions:

1) Get a large pot of water going for the pasta. In a large cast iron skillet set over medium-low heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove to a bowl and set aside. 

2) Turn heat up to medium. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan. Once melted, add the leek and asparagus. Season with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 7-10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute. Remove all to a bowl and set aside.

3) Cook pasta according to package instructions, making sure to generously salt the water.

4) Meanwhile, pour the cream into the skillet (set on low heat) and whisk until hot. Slowly ladle half of the cream into the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return to pan and cook, whisking, until slightly thickened. Stir in the parmesan until melted. Add the vegetables, pasta and bacon. Serve immediately with extra parmesan.

Monday, April 6, 2015

Creamy Leek, Asparagus, and Bacon Tagliatelle

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Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese from Scratch

I used to turn up my nose at the very thought of mac and cheese. Growing up, we rarely ate the stuff. Occasionally we'd try a prepackaged variety. Horrid. Just horrid.

Fast forward to after Reuben and I were married. He told me about how much he liked mac and cheese. So I decided to try make some for him: from scratch. It was massively gross. I used whole wheat noodles which were bitter, and the sauce was tasteless. Needless to say I was very discouraged.

And so Reuben convinced me to (reluctantly) buy the prepackaged variety. To my surprise, I quite liked it.

But I didn't want to give up on mac and cheese from scratch.

I tried my fair share of macaroni and cheese recipes. They were all disappointing on some level. And then one day, being fed up with making cheese sauces and shoving mac and cheese into the oven, I decided to simplify things. I threw some good ingredients into a pot of noodles and gave it a stir. Bingo. Delicious.

This recipe is quite rich. If you aren't in love with all things cheesy and creamy, this may not be the recipe for you. But if you like things over-the-top, you should definitely give this a try.

NOTE: I like shredding the cheese myself rather than using the pre-shredded stuff you buy in a big bag - it's full of anti-caking agents. 

Also, inspired by Tracy, I gave Sriracha on mac and cheese a try. It was quite good.

Easy Stovetop Mac and Cheese 

recipe by Erica Lea of Buttered Side Up | serves 3-4 | Printable Page

Ingredients:

8 ounces of pasta (shells, bow ties, penne, whatever you please)

6-7 ounces of cheddar cheese, shredded

6 tablespoons of butter

3 tablespoons of cream

salt to taste

Directions:

1) Bring a pot of water to a boil. GENEROUSLY salt the water. It's critical to salt the water enough, otherwise you pasta will be tasteless. Add the pasta and cook to your preferred doneness. Drain and return pasta to pan (I like to use a pot with a draining lid).

2) Add the butter to the still-hot pasta, cover and allow to melt a bit. Add the cheese and cream and give it a good stir. Put the lid back on and let it rest a bit. Give it another stir after a few minutes. Everything should come together into a smooth sauce. Taste and season with more salt if needed. Serve immediately.

3) Store any leftover in the refrigerator. Make sure to add a little cream to the pot when you reheat; otherwise the cheese will separate. 

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese from Scratch

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Cooking Inspiration + Life Lately

I have been obsessed with roasting veggies lately. Here's a little something that I dreamed up: Roasted Vegetable Chicken Alfredo. I baked up a pan of broccoli, grape tomatoes and garlic (drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with sea salt) and added it to a basic Alfredo sauce. It was awesome.

By the way, lining your pan with parchment paper is the best. No dangerous aluminum and no nasty cleanup.

I also roasted up a pan of heirloom tomatoes that I got from the co-op. I pureed them with some cream and used it as a sauce for pasta. Reuben really like it, even though it didn't have any meat! Here's what the finished product looked like.

I usually roast my vegetables between 400 and 450 degrees F for about half and hour, or until they look done to me.

You guys. Infused water is so refreshing. I experimented with a blend of lemon, cucumber and mint. Reuben calls it pickle water (he doesn't care for cucumbers), but I like it.

I tried figs for the first time! It's quite a different flavor, but I enjoyed it. We sauted them with butter and honey and served them over vanilla ice cream. Delicious.

I LOVE the vintage silverware I got from Reuben's grandma. Some of the pieces are very odd. I'll have to do a bit of research to learn the intended uses for them.

I finally purchased a Kitchen Aid stand mixer! I found it for almost half-price on Gilt (BTW, if you use my link you'll get $25 off your first order and I'll get $25 off my next order!). I have waited for over two years for this. Now I can make bread without hand-kneading it!

And of course I have to throw in a Helen update. This little rascal started crawling last month (at 6 months old) and is starting to pull herself up onto things everything (almost 7 months old). She keeps me on my toes - she's already an expert at Getting Into Things. And she's VERY interested in my food photography.

If you'd like to read more about Helen and see pictures from my everyday life, check out my personal blog and my Instagram.

Also, let me know in the comments if you like these inspiration/life update posts, or if you'd prefer that I keep it to recipe posts. 

Have a lovely day!

Erica

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Cooking Inspiration + Life Lately

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Hearty Pasta Sauce From Scratch

Pasta is one of those things that's just hard to mess up. As long as you start with good ingredients, you're sure to end with something delicious.

While at the farmers market the other day, I was inspired by seeing all the fresh tomatoes to make a pasta sauce. I purchased a pepper and onion to accompany it. Another day, at our local health food store, I selected a bunch of vine tomatoes and a box of crimini mushrooms. Plus I had half a pound of grass-fed Italian sausage (also purchased at the farmers market) in the refrigerator to use up.

Once I got home I put Helen down for her nap and started prepping my ingredients. It's almost therapeutic for me to chop vegetables without interruption. I added the ingredients one by one to the pot and slowly cooked them together.

The blend of all the fresh ingredients made for an awesome sauce (yes, I did that on purpose). Reuben heartily approved.

When following this recipe, make sure you add your own personal touch. There's just something satisfying about making a dish your own. If you like your sausage with a kick, by all means use spicy Italian! If you don't care for mushrooms, leave them out! Experiment!

Hearty Pasta Sauce

recipe by Erica Lea of Buttered Side Up | Makes 2-4 servings (depending on how hungry you are)

PRINTABLE PAGE

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb. mild Italian sausage
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 medium onion, diced small
• 1 small box crimini (baby bella) mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1 bell pepper, thinly sliced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
• 6 vine tomatoes (about 1 bunch), diced medium
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 tablespoon cane sugar
• your favorite pasta (I used wide egg noodles)

Directions:

1) Cook the sausage until no longer pink.

2) In a Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the onion, lower the heat, and cook until beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook until the onions are almost transparent, about 3 more minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until everything is nice and soft. Add the garlic and salt and pepper to taste and cook for 2 more minutes.

3) Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil, sugar and remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Increase heat to medium and bring to a boil. Simmer until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes. Add the cooked sausage and stir to combine.

4) Meanwhile, as the sauce is simmering, bring a pot of water to boil. Add salt and stir in your pasta. Cook to desired firmness (I like mine a little past al dente). Serve with lots of sauce and a sprinkling of parmesan. Enjoy!

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Hearty Pasta Sauce From Scratch

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Whole Wheat Pasta

A couple Saturdays back, Mom decided to serve Hungarian Meatball Stew for our Sunday dinner. Then we discovered we didn’t have near enough pasta.

Oh well.

Amanda & I whipped up a batch of fresh pasta and spent Saturday afternoon rolling and cutting fettucini. We used every drying rack we could find. When those ran out we used oven racks. After we had used every available space, I coiled the pasta. I wouldn’t recommend this. The noodles stuck together. However, when you make 3 pounds of pasta to serve 17 people, things can get a little desperate. 

Here’s the recipe I use every time to make pasta. You can cut it into any shape you wish.

:: Whole Wheat Pasta ::

Adapted from Better Homes & Gardens Pasta

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups traditional (12 5/8 oz) or white (11 5/8 oz) whole wheat flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 teaspoon olive oil

DIrections:

Hand Method

1. In a large bowl stir together 2 cups of the flour and the salt. Make a well in the center.
2. In a small mixing bowl, combine eggs, water and olive oil. Add the flour mixture and mix well.
3. Sprinkle the kneading surface with remaining 1/3 cup flour. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly floured surface roll each third of dough into a 1/16 inch thick square about 12×12 inches. Cut as desired. Or follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using a pasta machine to roll and cut the dough.

Mixer method

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour and salt. Make a well in the center.
2. In a small bowl, combine the eggs, water and olive oil. Add to the flour mixture. With the dough hook, mix until well combined.
3. With the mixer running, add the remaining flour. With the mixer on low, knead until smooth and elastic, about 8-10 minutes. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
4. Divide dough into fourths. On a lightly floured surface roll each third of dough into a 1/16 inch thick square about 12×12 inches. Cut as desired. Or follow the manufacturer’s instructions for using a pasta machine to roll and cut the dough.

Your can use this pasta immediately, or dry on racks for later use. It should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, as there are raw eggs in the dough.

Makes about 1 pound of fresh pasta.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Whole Wheat Pasta

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