Pasta Night

When we were kids my parents were incredibly busy, so when we were all home for dinner it was important. My mom was always able to breeze through the kitchen, gather whatever was in the fridge, and throw together something delicious.

I used to sit at the counter, telling her stories from the day or week, and I’d watch as she put something together. It was one of the many skills I got from her.

Today was a busy day. I got home late, and I was tired. I looked in the fridge and quested for inspiration.

The bacon and parmesan were sitting next to each other - and so I decided to make a version of a carbonara.

What I pulled from the fridge

2 slices of thick cut bacon

1 shallot

1 egg yolk

~1 cup of grated parmesan

1 cup frozen peas (let’s face it, I wish it was spring and there were good fresh peas available, but we’re not there yet!)

1 cup dried Fusilli

Pea Shoots

Salt and Pepper

Start by boiling some water, salting it liberally.

This is the point when my Dad would have opened the bottle of wine and poured a glass for my Mom, so I poured myself a nice glass of an Italian Cabernet.

Add the pasta to the boiling water.

Chop up the bacon, dice the shallot, and grate the parmesan.

I sautéd the bacon, drained off the fat and set it aside. Then cooked the shallot till it was translucent then added the peas.

Once the pasta was done I added it to the hot pan, add the parmesan and some of the pasta water. Then add the egg yolk and combine.

Add the cooked bacon back in and add some fresh cracked pepper.

Serve up into bowls and top with some pea shoot. I like the crisp bite of the fresh greens in with the creamy pasta.

Then sit down with the people you love. The best thing my parents ever did was sit at the dinner table and listen to my stories from 3rd grade with the same weight as their stories from work. We were all encouraged to listen and speak. I was respected for my opinion when I was little - probably why I have so many opinions now!

Dinner was a ritual, a place where we came together. It was egalitarian. There was no saving this topic till the kids were excused. I patiently sat through long conversations about sales forecasting software and office politics, and I became a better person from it.

Nearly all of my favourite memories with my family revolve around the dinner table and the kitchen, and I hope I can pass along that magic to the rest of the world.