Breakfast Skillet

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This simple frittata is great for a brunch or light supper. It's quite easy to prepare and while I suspect you already have an arsenal of recipes for dishes like this, I'm posting this one because the ingredients come together so well. I've found this dish works best if I use day old potatoes and  keep the cubes of meat and vegetables about the same size. I've settled on using a 1/2-inch dice for the potatoes and pancetta that I use in this breakfast skillet. I do want to caution you about over-salting the frittata. The pancetta and cheese are both inherently salty and I think you'll find you need less salt than might otherwise be the case. I hope you'll try this combination. I know those of you who try this breakfast skillet, will enjoy its flavor, as well as its simplicity. Here's the recipe.

Breakfast Skillet...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 cups (1/2-inch) diced cooked potatoes
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 cup (1/2-inch) diced pancetta
Freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
8 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk
1/4 cup torn basil leaves
1-1/2 cups shredded Parmesan or Asiago cheese

Directions:
1) Beat eggs in a bowl, stirring in 1/2 teaspoon salt, freshly ground pepper to taste, and milk.
2) Place a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil and heat until oil shimmers.
3) Add pancetta to pan and cook until golden brown. Add potatoes and garlic and cook for an additional three to four minutes.
4) Stir basil into eggs and pour over contents of pan. Swirl pan to distribute eggs over filling.
5) Shake pan gently, tilting it slightly with one hand while using a spatula and your free hand to lift edges of mixture. The object is to let liquid mixture run under edges of set eggs.
6) Turn heat down to low, cover pan, and cook 4 minutes. Scatter cheese evenly over surface of eggs and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes longer, or until eggs are just set on top.
7) While eggs are cooking heat broiler to medium.
8) Place skillet under broiler, about 3 inches from the heat, for 1 minute, watching closely, until just beginning to color on the top.
9) Remove from heat, allow to sit in pan for 5 minutes or longer, then carefully slide out onto a platter, or, if you prefer, cut in wedges and serve from skillet. Yield: 4 servings.

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Bow Tie Pasta with Cabbage, Pancetta and Cheese

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This dish has moved from beta testing and is now firmly ensconced in that part of my recipe collection reserved for visiting grandsons. The older crew have always been good eaters, but their palates are developing and they are starting to appreciate theme and variation in their meals. I know they'll love the way this dish that takes old and familiar ingredients and mixes them in a way that is completely new to them. The combination of noodles and cabbage is found in many cuisines, but I think Jamie Oliver's unique presentation of this dish stands heads and shoulders above the others that I've tried. As a child, I became familiar with Krautfleckerl and Haluski thanks to our German and Polish neighbors. I happened to love both preparations, but over the years cabbage lost its cache and wasn't often served on American tables. It is experiencing a bit of a resurgence now thanks to influence of the fresh and local food movement. There would be converts aplenty if everyone could taste Oliver's creation. This dish is not inexpensive to prepare. It uses pancetta and I know there will be a temptation to use blanched bacon in its place. Try not to do that. Blanched bacon taste like blanched bacon and the unique flavor of pancetta is important to the success of this dish. Slivered almonds, however, can be used in place of pine nuts, which, for reason I will never understand, have become ridiculously expensive and worthy of a king's ransom. Obviously, buffalo mozzarella would be wonderful in this dish, but any decent fresh mozzarella will work well as a stand-in. If you are looking for something a bit different to tease your appetite and palate, I think you'll really enjoy this combination. Here's the recipe.

Bow Tie Pasta with Cabbage, Pancetta and Cheese...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Jamie Oliver

Ingredients:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 pound thinly sliced pancetta
3 tablespoons pine nuts
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 garlic clove, minced
1 head of Savoy cabbage (about 1 3/4 pounds)—tough outer leaves discarded, cabbage quartered, cored and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch ribbons
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 pound bowtie pasta (farfalle)
7 ounces fresh mozzarella, cut into 1/2-inch dice

Directions:
1) Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet. Add pancetta and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer pancetta to a cutting board and coarsely chop. Strain the fat through a fine sieve; wipe out the skillet and pour fat back into it.
2) Add pine nuts to skillet and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer nuts to a plate. Add thyme and garlic to the skillet and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.
3) Add cabbage and toss to coat with drippings. Cover and cook over moderately low heat until wilted, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add water and
Parmesan, cover, and cook until the cabbage is tender, about 10 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and shake dry, then return it to pot. Add cabbage, mozzarella, pancetta, pine nuts and remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil and toss until cheese is slightly melted. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a bowl and serve. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

This post is being linked to Presto Pasta Nights which is celebrating its fifth anniversary this week. Congratulations Ruth!









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Pasta all' Amatriciana

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I'm breaking the rules a bit tonight. The sauce I'm featuring is usually served over thick strand pasta such as perciatelli or bucatini. Unfortunately, they are not available here, so I usually use spaghetti or linguine in their stead. I was in a rush this evening and didn't realize I had neither of them in my pantry until the Amatriciana sauce was nearly done. I did have cavatelli and, having no other options, decided to use it as a base for the sauce. It worked, though not as well as a strand pasta might. I hasten to add that the sauce saved the day, not the pasta I used. The sauce, which originated in the Italian town of Amatrice, is usually made with tomatoes, pancetta and hot pepper flakes. The pancetta gives the sauce a unique flavor, and while some think Canadian bacon can be used as a substitute, I don't recommend it because I don't think it imparts the same flavor. Amatriciana is an uncomplicated sauce that has wonderful color and is quite simply delicious. The recipe I use was originally developed by Lidia Bastianich and it is a winner. Here's how the sauce is made.

Pasta all' Amatriciana...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite inspired by Lidia Bastianich

Ingredients:
1 28-ounce can plum tomatoes
salt
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
2 cups thinly sliced onion
3 ounces pancetta, cut into 1-1/2 inch julienne strips
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 pound strand pasta
1 cup Pecorino Romano, grated, plus more for passing

Directions:
1) Pass tomatoes and their liquid through fine disc of a food mill. Set aside.
2) Bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil in an 8-quart pot.
3) Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, about 4 minutes. Add pancetta and cook for 2 minutes longer. Add pepper flakes and tomatoes with their juice and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to a simmer, and season lightly with salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 20 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, stir pasta into boiling water and cook, according to package instructions, until done.
5) Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Drain pasta, return it to pot in which it cooked. Add half the sauce and bring to a boil, adding enough pasta water to make a sauce to coat the macaroni. Check seasoning, adding salt if necessary. Remove pan from heat, stir in 1 cup grated cheese and transfer to a large, heated serving platter or bowl. Spoon remaining sauce over top. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese if desired. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.








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You might also enjoy these recipes:
Spaghetti and Meatballs - Deelicious Sweets
Pumpkin Macaroni and Cheese - Neo-Homesteading
Fettucini Carbonara - Our Life in the Kitchen
Lidia's Pasta with Roasted Tomatoes - Ciao Chow Linda
Easy Sunday Lemon Pasta - Joy the Baker

Spinach and Pancetta Strata - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...It's time for the April challenge at Recipes to Rival. This month's challenge, chosen by Temperama of High on the Hog, was a Giada De Laurentis recipe for a Spinach and Pancetta Strata. It's a wonderful recipe for this time of year. It can be assembled the night before serving and that makes it a natural for for a Mother's Day brunch. I cut all the ingredients in half, but made no other changes to the recipe we were asked to prepare. Those of you who have large families to entertain will appreciate the ease with which this can be assembled. The strata is simple to make and it uses readily available ingredients. It is also delicious. One of the nice things about Giada's recipes is their consistency. They are never great but they are always good and visually appealing. I hope you'll try this. You won't be disappointed. Here's the recipe.

Spinach and Pancetta Strata...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Giada De Laurentis from Everyday Italian episode: My Family Favorites

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1 (10-ounce) box chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
8 cups cubed Italian bread, from a 1-pound loaf
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
3 cups whole milk
10 large eggs

Directions:
1) Heat oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and saute until crisp and golden, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to a bowl. Add onion to pan drippings in same skillet and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and garlic. Saute over medium-low heat until garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of pepper, nutmeg, and cooked pancetta.
2) Place half of bread cubes in a buttered 3-quart baking dish. Sprinkle half of cheese over the bread, then top with half of spinach mixture. Repeat layering.
3) Whisk milk, eggs, remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper in a large bowl and pour evenly over strata. Chill strata, covered with plastic wrap, at least 2 hours and up to 12 hours.
4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
5) Bake strata uncovered until puffed, golden brown, and cooked through, about 40 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Yield: 8 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Frittata with Spring Herbs and Leeks - One Perfect Bite
Smoked Salmon Frittata - One Perfect Bite
Individual Baked Omelets - One Perfect Bite

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.