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A Life From Scratch.

A Life You Adore Around A Table You Love.

Decisions, decisions.

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Let’s make this one easy and just give the highlights.

The good:

1. Whole grain pasta
2. Peas
3. Olive oil

The bad:

1. Whole grain pasta (this can go from very good to very bad quickly depending on the amount consumed)
2. Cream
3. Butter

The ugly:

1. Bacon

Your decision…does the good outweigh the bad? Funny how that is always the question.

Let me know what you decide.

Fancy peas and bacon
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lbs whole grain bow tie pasta
  2. 4 slices of thick bacon
  3. olive oil, as needed
  4. 1 medium sweet onion, minced
  5. 1 cup frozen or fresh peas
  6. 1/2 cup heavy cream
  7. 2 TBS butter
  8. salt & pepper, to taste
  9. grated parmesan, for garnish
  10. parsley, for garnish
Instructions
  1. Cook the pasta according to directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
  2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Dice the bacon and fry in a skillet over medium high heat. Remove with a slotted spoon when cooked and set aside.
  3. Add the onion to the skillet and saute until soft and tender, about 4 minutes. Add peas and saute until heated through. If the skillet starts to get dry, add some olive oil.
  4. Stir in the cream and simmer a few minutes until it begins to reduce and thicken.
  5. Add the cooked pasta and the bacon to the skillet and toss gently. If the dish seems dry add some of the reserved cooking liquid. Season with salt & pepper to taste.
  6. Remove from the heat and drizzle in some olive oil and the butter. Swirl until the butter is melted and pour pasta into deep bowls. Top with freshly grated parm and chopped parsley.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

We decided two bowls each sounded about right.
C

Meet Talia & Smoked Paprika.

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Meet two of my loves: one old, one new. My sister, Talia, and my new secret ingredient, smoked paprika.

I enjoyed both last night as T came over to cook and blog with me. Who is she exactly? Well, she is my (much) younger sister who also shares a deep love of cooking and writing. Isn’t she a doll? She wants to go into journalism and currently has an internship at a very cool magazine in the north shore area of Chicago called Make It Better. She has featured a yummy summer recipe at the magazine from A Life From Scratch, found here! You might see her a bit more around my kitchen as well as her own as I’ve asked her to incorporate some of her amazing writing and cooking here at A Life.

Back to last night. We decided to make a very delicious recipe my talented mom discovered last week from Giada. We adapted it a bit here and there but stuck with the basics. I believe the winning ingredient in this recipe is the smoked paprika. I have never cooked with it before but now that I have I wonder why more recipes don’t feature this amazing flavor. It turns dull into ‘what is that’ almost instantly. If you don’t have it stocked in your kitchen, grab some next time you’re out.

We also had a special sous chef, L, who piped up from the couch that he wanted to help cook. He quickly labeled the spinach as the ‘hairy green stuff’ and enjoyed learning to toss the salad together gently as to not crush the tender heirloom tomatoes and feta cheese, two other stand out ingredients.

If you’re looking for a great lunch for the girls or a perfect side to sit along some grilled meat, you can’t lose with this one.

Cous Cous salad with Smoked Paprika
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Dressing
  1. 1/3 cup olive oil
  2. 2 TBS white vinegar
  3. 1.5 tsp smoked paprika
  4. 1 tsp kosher salt
  5. 1/2 tsp pepper
Salad
  1. 1 & 1/3 cups Israeli cous cous, cooked
  2. 1 TBS olive oil
  3. 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  4. 2 cups water
  5. 2 cups spinach, chopped
  6. 12 ounces cherry or mini heirloom tomatoes, halved
  7. 1 cup feta, crumbled
  8. 1 cup jarred red peppers (we used fire roasted for a bit of kick)
  9. 1/2 cup nuts, sliced (we used smoked and salted pecans)
  10. 1/2 cup freshly chopped parsley
  11. 1/4 cup freshly chopped mint
  12. salt & pepper, to taste
Instructions
  1. Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Set aside.
  2. Heat the TBS olive oil in a small pot over medium heat. Saute the cous cous for 4-5 minutes, until golden. Add in 2 cups of water and the salt, bring to a boil, then simmer and cover. Cook for 9 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, prepare the remaining ingredients. Add in the (cooled) cous cous and your dressing. Toss, gently, together.
  4. This can be served immediately or chilled in the fridge a bit. I personally like it cold.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

C and T recommend, highly!

Girls, interrupted.

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This past week M traveled to NY so I had the opportunity to have my sisters over for a girls night in. I love these nights because I can selfishly cook a veggie heavy meal that doesn’t revolve around meat and I knew exactly what that meal would be.

I grew up eating a great veggie pasta dish from my mom and I have developed it a bit over the years and named it ‘farmers market pasta.’ Almost all of the ingredients are available at your favorite farmers market or farm stand. The freshness of the veggies and herbs is out of this world! This is one of those recipes that is made for summer time fun.

Somehow my timing was off on M’s trip and he ended up joining us for dinner – a glitch that was quickly fixed with a stop to the butcher for some italian sausage to serve along the side. Heaven forbid a hunk of meat wasn’t on the table.

Farmers market pasta, cake, Erin Brochovich, and two wonderful sisters. Not a bad way to end a day!

Farmers Market Pasta
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 1 lbs whole wheat pasta, any shape you'd like
  2. 5 slices of bacon, chopped (I used turkey)
  3. 3 TBS olive oil
  4. 1 onion, chopped
  5. 3 garlic cloves, minced
  6. 1 green pepper, chopped
  7. 1 head broccoli, chopped
  8. 1 zuchinni, chopped
  9. fresh herbs, as many as you'd like - I used a mix of oregano, parsley, and basil
  10. 3-4 fresh tomatoes, chopped
  11. parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Cook your pasta according to package directions.
  2. Meanwhile, cook your bacon in a large and deep skillet. Remove and set aside.
  3. To the skillet, add your olive oil and saute the onion until translucent. Add in your garlic towards the end and saute another minute.
  4. Add in your green pepper, broccoli, and zuchinni. Saute until cooked through - roughly 5 minutes or so. You still want a bit of bite on the veggies.
  5. In goes your freshly chopped herbs and tomatoes. Saute until cooked through.
  6. Put your pasta in a big bowl, top with your farmers market sauce, crumbled bacon, and parmesan cheese.
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

Try to only have one bowl…
Courtney

M vs. C

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There are certain recipes that come along that I just can’t pass up making for myself even though one of the star ingredients is enough to make M walk in the door, smell it, and turn around and leave.

Luckily this recipe is super easy to adapt and those work well in our home due to M’s, well, sensitive palate (to put it nicely). Listen, broccoli is in this recipe for a reason. It’s delicious. It’s healthy. It’s happening.

So what do you think…whose dinner looks better?

What M consumed:

What C consumed:

Regardless of whose is better (mine), this recipe is delicious and has become a staple in our home. We have had it twice in one week! So give it a go and adapt how you see fit. Like a good husband, it’s a flexible one.

Orecchiette w/ Sausage and Crispy Broccoli (and peas for M!)
Serves 4
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Ingredients
  1. 3 1/2 cups broccoli florets, trimmed
  2. 4 TBS olive, plus more to taste
  3. kosher salt & pepper
  4. 1 lbs orecchiettte pasta
  5. 2 links sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
  6. 1 cup fresh or defrosted peas
  7. 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
  8. 1 TBS butter, for richness
  9. 4 heaping TBS fresh ricotta
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Link a baking dish with foil, add the broccoli, and toss with 3 TBS olive oil, salt, and pepper. Roast for 15 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, make your pasta according to package directions. Drain and save 1/2 cup of the pasta liquid.
  4. Add remaining TBS of olive oil to a large skillet set over medium high heat. Brown the sausage, breaking it up with a wooden spoon until cooked, 5-7 minutes. Add half of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and turn heat to high, cook, stirring, until it looks saucy.
  5. Add the pasta, Parmesan cheese, peas, and butter to the skillet and toss together to combine adding more pasta liquid if needed. Divide into 4 bowls and top with the crispy broccoli - if your kids (or husband) allow it.
  6. Top with more Parmesan cheese and a dollop of fresh ricotta.
Adapted from Dinner A Love Story
Adapted from Dinner A Love Story
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

Enjoy,
C

Golf, pool, & pasta – oh my!

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It feels like we were bombarded with summer all at once this past weekend. And like a typical summer weekend, I got absolutely nothing done around the house as I spent a majority of my time outdoors, especially at the pool. I forgot how lazily unproductive my weekends can be when the weather turns warm. Oh well…come on, like I’m going to miss moments like these?

One thing I wasn’t lazy about was getting Sunday dinner on the table. Grilled cheddar brats along the side of this killer pasta dish. It’s a recipe that simply begs to be served in the summer sun. You prep the sauce in the morning, leave it on the counter all day to get extra tasty, toss with some fresh pasta in the evening and voila! You have yourself summer in a bowl.

Bonuses this recipe has to offer: 1. It makes a ton and tastes great served warm that night or cold over the next few days. 2. Like the bruschetta recipe, it will taste better as the summer goes on and the tomatoes and basil get fresher and fresher and lastly 3. It sits along the side beautifully of practically any grilled meat dish. Chicken? Steak? Cheddar brats? Why not – they all work.

So get your chopping on in the early am, throw it all in a big pasta bowl, and head out to t-ball, golf, pool…wherever summer takes you. It will be ready when you are.

Summer Pasta
Serves 6
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Ingredients
  1. 2 pints cherry tomatoes, halved
  2. 1/2 cup olive oil
  3. 6 cloves garlic, minced
  4. 18 large basil leaves, julienned, plus more for serving
  5. 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  6. 1 tsp salt
  7. 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  8. 1 lbs dried angel hair pasta
  9. 1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Combine all ingredients aside from the pasta and cheese in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside at room temperature for at least 4 hours.
  2. When you're ready to serve, cook the pasta to al dente (only 2-3 minutes). Drain the pasta well and toss in the large bowl with the tomato sauce. Add the cheese and some extra basil leave and give it another light toss.
  3. Serve outside, preferably.
Adapted from Ina Garten
Adapted from Ina Garten
A Life From Scratch. https://a-life-from-scratch.com/

 

And yes. That is a hot dog DOUGHNUT L is eating.
Courtney

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