Pasta Party - Ziti Carbonara

Today concluded an especially fun (and food) filled three day weekend that was indisputably action packed. We started at a friend's birthday party and then the family got together Saturday evening for an easy and festive dinner. I was in the mood to cook, even though it was technically my birthday weekend and I was otherwise taking it easy (we officially celebrated on Sunday with a phenomenal dinner at Brooklyn's iconic, Peter Luger). 

Cooking almost never feels like work to me, and when you pick easy recipes and do just a little bit of light prep work, entertaining can be almost effortless. I decided that dinner would consist of a duo of Pasta Courses and a salad. The first dish was a Neurotic Kitchen classic, Aglio Olio e Peperoncino, which is perfect in its simplicity and also incredibly budget friendly. Next I whipped up a sinful batch of Ziti Carbonara. 

I have to thank my mom for walking me through the Carbonara prep, and without a recipe, no less. It's one of those dishes that you can make almost by instinct. It ended up being the perfect easy dish for our family gathering. Really flavorful, a little rich and indisputably comforting. It's definitely going in the dinner party rotation for years to come. For tips and the recipe, read below!

Special thanks to everyone who made my birthday weekend so special. 

Ziti Carbonara, Photo: NK 

Cook's Notes- Carbonara is a dish you need to make a la minute. That means that you'll benefit greatly from chopping and prepping in advance, which is especially crucial if you're cooking this for guests.

Do Ahead:
Grate the Parmigiana Cheese
Chop the Onions
Chop the Bacon
Chop the Italian Parsley

*****

Ziti Carbonara
Serves 6 modestly or as an appetizer

Ingredients:
1 Pound Ziti
4 Strips (approximately 4 Ounces) Thick Cut Bacon or Pancetta (we prefer Coleman Organic) cut into a medium dice
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 medium Sweet Yellow Onion or White Onion, cut into a 1/2 inch dice
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
1 Cup Grated Parmigiana Romano
3 Large Eggs* (each cracked and beaten in it's own individual mug or ramekin)
1/3 Cup Finely Chopped Italian Parsley
1 teaspoon Black Pepper 
Salt

Method:
1. Make sure all ingredients are chopped and prepped as above.

2. In a saute pan, cook Bacon in about a Tablespoon Olive Oil until golden brown and slightly crisped. Remove the Bacon from the pan and set aside. Wipe out some of the remaining oil and Bacon Fat, leaving about two Tablespoons. Add the Onions to the pan and saute over medium heat until tender and translucent. Add the Wine and scrape the pan. Allow to cook over medium flame until it is reduced, by about half or more leaving a Tablespoon or two remaining.  Turn off the flame.

3. Set a large pot of salted water to boil. When it is ready, add the Ziti, stirring occasionally until cooked to a nice al dente.

4. Drain the Pasta in a colander. Return to the hot Pasta pot. Working quickly, add a handful of Parmigiana Cheese, toss well. Add the Bacon and Onion Mixture, toss. Add one beaten Egg, and toss vigorously and continuously. Add another handful of grated Parmigiana, toss. Add the Black Pepper, toss. Add another egg, and toss again. Add more Parmigiana and the final Egg. Toss until creamy and well incorporated. Sprinkle in all the Parsley and toss. Taste for seasoning and add Salt as needed. Add more Pepper as you wish. It should have a good amount. Serve right away in a communal bowl!

My Beautiful Birthday Brunch + Tips To Host Your Own

A beautiful birthday brunch, courtesy of my main squeeze
Photo: NK 

This afternoon, my husband threw me the most lovely and thoughtful Birthday Brunch.

Not only did he do a great job pulling this small family gathering off without me having to lift a finger, but it especially touched my heart that he put such thought into the event, down to even the smallest detail; my favorite kind of flowers adorned the table and the menu was what I consider to be brunch perfection. Finally, my birthday cake was frosted with the most delicious Vanilla Buttercream (the icing on a devil's food cake has just got to be vanilla). What can I say? The man knows me well.

This low-key yet still festive Sunday with my loved ones was everything I could have hoped for, so I knew I'd just have to share it with you. 

But first, here are my Top 2 House Rules when in comes to Brunch:

1. It's not brunch if you aren't sipping a Bloody Mary.

2. Smoked Salmon on a Bagel is the king of all brunch food - and if you don't have all the accoutrements (Red Onion, Cream Cheese, Capers, Fresh Dill, lots of Lemon), you're doing it wrong :). 

Now - For ALL our favorite Brunch Tips plus a classically New York recipe for Date Nut Bread, I invite you to click HERE. 

Lox with Lemon, Dill, Red Onion, Capers to be served on Bagels &
Cream Cheese, Photo: NK

The Menu:

Bagels, Lox, and all the toppings. (See above!)

Bacon. What's brunch without it? We like Coleman Natural. No added nitrates, thick cut, 
it's worth the splurge every time. 

Scrambled Eggs - I prefer poached eggs but when you're feeding a crowd, scrambled is the way to go. My husband's secrets to impossibly fluffy scrambled eggs are as follows:
1. Start with the Eggs at room temperature.

2.Use Whole Milk, and whisk the vigorously right before putting the eggs into the pan.         
3.Finally, be sure to remove them from the pan just before they look fully done. 
     
They will finish cooking over the next minute or two it takes for your guests to serve themselves! 

Fruit Salad - Use in-season fruits. Citrus is great in winter! 

Last but not least, 

Cake! 

Cake by Natale's, a must visit if you're ever in the neighborhood. Photo: NK

Thank you to my lovely family for a fantastic day. Who needs birthday wishes when I have all of you? 

Eat The Season - Ramps, Three Ways

Thus begins Neurotic Kitchen's Third Annual Ramp post. Be sure to relive our other ramp adventures HERE, HERE, and HERE. Thanks in part to their short season once per year, these deliciously garlicky wild leeks enjoy some major hype. This also means you've got to grab up your ramps as soon as they hit the green markets (often in the middle of April). They're around for just four to six weeks so we made sure to get cooking right away. The result? Three meals using ramps and one very happy week.

Lemony Ramp Pasta With Rock Shrimp & Fried Capers, Photo: NK 

To start, we whipped up some Ramp Pizza. To make it, simply prep your homemade pizza and chop a few ramps (white and green parts) into half inch pieces. Sprinkle on top of your sauce and cheese and bake. Easy enough, right? If you'd like to get a bit more daring (but still prep dinner in under a half hour) we're sharing two easy ramp recipes for you to enjoy! As a rule, use versatile ramps wherever you might choose scallions or leeks, and you'll be a ramp believer before you know it. Enjoy!

Lemony Ramp Pasta With Rock Shrimp & Fried Capers

Inspired by Giada de Laurentiis

Serves 2-3 as an entree 

Ingredients: 

1/2 Pound Spaghetti

1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil (plus an additional Tablespoon)

2 Tablespoons Capers, well rinsed and patted very dry

A bunch of about 12 Ramps, cleaned and sliced into 1/2 inch slices (white & green parts) +1 to 2 Ramp Greens cut into ribbons for an optional garnish (chiffonade)

1/2 Pound cleaned Wild Rock Shrimp (or regular Shrimp sliced into 1.2 inch pieces)

3 Heaping Tablespoons of freshly grated Parmigiana Cheese

Zest of 1 Large Lemon (organic if possible)

2 Tablespoons fresh Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. For the Spaghetti, set a large pot of salted water to boil. 

2. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, warm the Olive Oil a minute or so until it is shimmering. Add the Capers (be careful because they may spit) and fry for about 2-3 minutes until browned (but not burnt) and crisp. Remove Capers with a slotted spoon and set aside to drain on paper towel. 

3. Allow remaining oil to cool a minute before pouring into a heat-proof metal or ceramic bowl. Add the Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice to the bowl and stir. Set aside. 

4. Once water is boiling, prepare Spaghetti according to package instructions (al dente please :)).

5. Add another Tablespoon or so of Olive Oil to the skillet you used for the capers. Heat oil over medium-low heat. Add the Whites of the Ramps and cook, stirring for one minute. Now add the green parts of the Ramps and cook, stirring another 2-3 minutes. Move the ramps to one of the skillet and add the Rock Shrimp. Allow to cook untouched for 2 minutes, then flip them and let them cook another minute or so until opaque and cooked through. 

6. Once Spaghetti is finished, drain and return it to the pot. Add the Ramps and Shrimp Mixture to the Spaghetti, and then toss in the Lemon and Oil Mixture. Toss for a full minute. Add the Parmigiana Cheese and toss again. Taste for seasoning and add a tiny bit of Salt if needed (the Capers will provide salt as well) and Black Pepper. Plate the Pasta and top with equal portions of Fried Capers. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Next up - our rampy answer to fried rice - also starring Mr. NK's favorite - bacon. Thanks to my religious use of instant rice (I have limited patience, as you know), this meal comes together in fifteen minutes! I'd also call this a pretty casual recipe so I'll be presenting it as such. Use your imagination and add or subtract as you see fit.

Fried Brown Rice Bowl With Cucumber, Ramps & Bacon, Photo: NK 

Fried Brown Rice Bowl With Cucumber, Ramps & Bacon

Inspired by Food & Wine Magazine

Serves 2  

Ingredients: 

1 Medium Unwaxed Cucumber, well scrubbed and cut into thin slices (peeling optional)

16 ounces pre-cooked Brown Rice (we use Uncle Ben's Microwaveable Ready Rice - fast!)

6 Slices Organic Bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces

About 8 Ramps, White and Green Parts sliced into 1/4 inch pieces

1 Dried Red Chili, sliced

Sriracha

Black Sesame Seeds

Salt

Method:

1. In a large, heavy skillet (we used cast iron), cook the Bacon slices until crispy but not burnt - about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove Bacon to drain, reserving the fat in the pan. 

2. Pour off all but about 3 Tablespoons of the Bacon Fat. Add the Ramps and cook over medium heat, stirring, for about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the sliced Chile and Cucumber Slices. Toss until Cucumber softens a bit, about another 1 minute. Add the Brown Rice to the skillet and continue to toss over medium heat for about 2 minutes. Add some Sriracha to taste and toss again. You may need a bit of extra Salt and Pepper but you can decide that once you incorporate the already salty Bacon.

3. To Serve - plate the Rice, Ramp and Cucumber Mixture.  Top with portions of crispy Bacon and a good sprinkle of Black Sesame Seeds. If you have fresh Ramps left over use one or two for a nice green garnish. Serve with extra Sriracha and enjoy! Note: If you'd like to make this more of a true fried rice crack an egg into it before adding the bacon and stir until it has incorporated and fully cooked.