Sunday, March 7, 2010

Recipe #1 Mini Shell Pasta with a Creamy Smoked Bacon and Pea Sauce

I made my first recipe! I decided to start with "Mini Shell Pasta with a Creamy Smoked Bacon & Pea Sauce" on page 52 if you're following along at home in your book (or you can find this recipe on Jamie's website, although its in UK measurements). I decided to start with this one because in his description he says that this is one of the dishes he cooks for his kids. I read through the recipe quickly before I rushed off to the store. Because of a scheduling conflict, I've had to adjust our schedule and make this for lunch and I'm running behind to get food on the table before the kids get impatient for lunch. My two hiccups at the grocery store are that there is no fresh mint unless I buy a whole plant, so I buy the plant, and there are no mini shells! This one sends me into a bit of panic because that is the whole point of the recipe! I quickly calm myself down, in the interest of time, and pick up some mini wheels instead and pat myself on the back for being flexible. I rush home, throw some water on to boil for the pasta and get going on the sauce. The toddler is at my feet in front of the stove taking everything out of a nearby cabinet. He is hungry and won't leave my side. Neither my daughter or husband can pry him away and I yell inside my head, "This is why I don't cook." We put him in his highchair and give him some pretzels to snack on. My daughter volunteers to pick mint off of the plant, yay! I chalk this up as a victory in the "cooking as a family" department as the baby sits nearby and asks for some "Mooooo" (chocolate milk) to go with his pretzels. Once 1/3 of the leaves are picked she bails. Sigh. I cook the bacon, toss in the peas, add some cream and the now chopped mint (using a new Pampered Chef gadget this is super easy and I applaud myself for using one of my gadgets).
Now, don't laugh, but I've always had trouble boiling water. I'm impatient. I've remembered this and put my water and pasta in a very large pot to try and compensate for this but as I add the mint to the sauce, the pasta pot boils over. Seriously? I can't boil water? I clean up my mess, add the few final ingredients along with the now al dente pasta and voila…my first Jamie meal!
My daughter likes it, hubby likes, I think its super yummy…the baby rejects it but hey, 3 out of 4 ain't bad?
I'm super happy and know that this will definitely be a new staple recipe in our house.
Thanks, Jamie!
Recipes cooked: 1
Recipes left: 172
Days left: 363

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