sprinklefingers

i’m not going to complain about how busy i am. i’m not. i’m just not. but i will tell you this: i miss my kid. i’m eating too much. i haven’t worked out in for-ev-ah. the laundry is piling up. i keep crying for no reason. i feel totally scattered. and (did i mention this yet?) i miss my kid.

our new bakery opens in less than two weeks and busy doesn’t really begin to describe my life right now.

still, i can’t complain because i have help. a lot of it. most of our employees are amazing and are working just as hard as i am to get the new store open. this is a huge change for me -  when we opened our first bakery we did it with three people: i baked everything and my husband and best friend handled the cash register. crazy days indeed. thank goodness for great employees!

here’s a delicious meal, perfect for busy people like you. and me. the whole thing comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta. and, it’s delicious. did i mention that already?

bacon & asparagus pasta
serves 2 with leftovers for one

you need:

• 1/2 lb bacon, preferably smoked and hopefully nueske’s or beeler’s, chopped into 1/2” pieces
• 1 bundle asparagus, washed with ends trimmed then cut into 1” pieces
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed then diced super fine
• a few pinches of dried herbs (i use an italian mix)
• a few dashes of freshly grated nutmeg
• a pinch of red pepper flakes
• salt
• pepper

• half & half
• freshly grated parmesan cheese

• 10 oz pasta - some kind of noodle that holds sauce well - penne or farfalle

make the pasta:

1. set a large pot of water to boil.
2. while the water is coming up to a boil, cook the bacon over medium heat until starting to turn golden. add the asparagus and let cook for a few minutes.
3. check your pasta water. boiling? good. add the noodles with a pinch or two of salt.
4. back to the bacon/asparagus: by now your asparagus is bright green and the bacon is cooking along. if your bacon is golden and looking good, go ahead and add the garlic, herbs, nutmeg, red pepper flakes and the tiniest bit of salt and a good grind of pepper. stir very well until fragrant and then add a small (small!) ladle-full of pasta water. the water will allow you to scrape the browned bits up off the bottom of the pan - which you should do.
5. once you’ve scraped up the browned bits, add about 3/4 cup of half & half to the pan along with a good, big handful of the grated cheese. stir until the cheese melts then reduce the heat to low and let the ‘sauce’ cook until it thickens a bit.
6. TASTE IT. if it needs more seasoning, add it. but before you add salt, make sure you have a bite with a piece of bacon in it - the last thing you want to do is over-salt your dish. or something like that.
7. the noodles are cooked! drain them, then add them to the pot with the sauce and give everything a big stir to coat the noodles and distribute the asparagus and bacon.
8. portion and top each dish with some additional cheese.
9. dinner!

notes:

this dish would be equally as delicious with the following substitutes for the asparagus:

• zucchini (or another summer squash,) cut into half moons
• 1 bundle of kale, stems removed and cut into manageable pieces

• it would also be a very delicious idea to add 3-4 green onions to the dish: wash the onions then cut the white parts and an inch or so of the green parts into 1/4” pieces - add them after the bacon begins to render its fat - before you add the asparagus (or zucchini or kale.)

• and, if you wanted to get really crazy and raise the deliciousness level of this dish even more, add a fried egg with a runny yolk to the top! but don’t eat the egg on its own. serve the individuals dishes of pasta with a fried egg on top of each, then mix the egg into the pasta - the runny yolk will add to the sauce and the white will taste delicious with the bacon.

holy moses. it’s been one thing after another around here.

tough decisions, cranky kid and my husband’s rock & roll lifestyle have really been cramping my super-mom-super-business-owner style.

i’ll be the first to admit it: getting dinner on the table before 7 pm has really been tough for me for the past week or so.

yesterday i decided to put an end to it.

first, i forced myself to get out of bed 20 minutes earlier than usual and i started dinner. nothing elaborate. sausages with tomatoes, onions and white beans. something like a stew. but thicker. i literally threw it all in a dutch oven and slid it into the oven - letting it cook while i made breakfast, got ready for work and attempted to soothe a cranky-ass kid.

an hour or so later (after a bit of cooling) i put the whole thing in the fridge…and when i got home from work (what seems like 393 hours later,) i reheated it. dinner magically ready! before 7 pm!

make ahead sausages & beans

you need:

• 2 lbs mild italian sausage links (i prefer pork)
• 2 15 oz cans best quality diced tomatoes
• 1 yellow onion, sliced thin
• 3-5 cloves garlic, depending upon size, minced
• olive oil - a few good glugs
• red wine vinegar - a few healthy splashes
• 3 t dried italian herb mix (something containing basil & oregano will be good)
• salt - to taste
• pepper - to taste
• 1 lb cooked cannellini beans (or canned)
• 1 loaf whole grain artisan bread (day old preferred)

to make dinner:

1. preheat your oven to 425.
2. mix everything from the sausages through the pepper in a large roasting pan or dutch oven. (put everything on the list in the pan EXCEPT the beans.)
3. place the pan in the oven and roast for 45 minutes.
4. to serve immediately: remove the pan from the oven and check a sausage for doneness. stir in the beans and slide pan back in the oven for 5 or so minutes to heat through.
5. to serve later: after you’ve checked a sausage for doneness, leave the pan on a cooling rack for a few minutes.
6. once initially cooled, make some room in the fridge for your pan and set it in the fridge on top of a cooling rack.
7. when you’re ready to eat, remove the pan from the oven and either reheat in the oven or on the stove top. once hot, mix in the beans and return to the heat for a few minutes to heat through.
8. to serve: place 2 thick slices of the bread in the bottom of a deep plate or bowl. spoon the tomato “sauce” over and top with a sausage or two. let sit for a minute or so to allow the bread to absorb the juices.

the sausages & beans freeze beautifully. simply divide into freezer-safe containers and freeze. in the future when you’re in need of a quick dinner simply pull a few containers out of the freezer in the morning and allow to thaw in the fridge. that evening simply reheat and enjoy!