Linguini with Carbonara Sauce: Easy, fast and yummy!

Here's an "easy" recipe that I've made a couple of times lately. It goes together in minutes and if you microwave the bacon, it is even faster. It is actually low-fat, but you can make it high-fat by adding the full fat substitutions.

Two eggs or 8 Tbsp egg substitute
6 tsp evaporated skim milk
4 tsp margarine
8 slices turkey bacon or regular bacon, cooked and broken into bite-sized pieces
1 pkg of linguini
8 Tbsp of parmesan cheese, grated
4 tsp fresh parsley, chppped
Black pepper, to taste

Put water on to boil. Take out eggs, skim milk and butter and allow to come to room temperature. Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, wash and chop parsley and grate parmesan cheese (or just buy grated parmesan cheese!) Cook bacon and break into bite-sized pieces. Measure out eggs and milk into one bowl. Drain pasta. Return pasta to saucepan and place over low heat. Toss with margarine. Whisk together eggs and skim milk. Pour egg mixture over pasta and immediately toss until coated. Add bacon, parmesan cheese and parsley and toss to mix. Season with black pepper. Serve immediately. Goes wonderfully with a simple side salad and some crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Betsy's Italian Meal

Lemon Raspberry Fizz
1 cup Champagne or sparkling water
1/4 cup limoncello liqueur
Crushed ice 2 tablespoons
Fresh raspberries or frozen raspberries, thawed

In a small pitcher, combine the Champagne and limoncello. Place a spoonful of crushed ice into each of 2 Champagne glasses and top with raspberries. Pour the Champagne mixture over the ice and raspberries. Serve immediately.

Rigatoni with Steak Sauce
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil 2 (12-ounce) rib-eye steaks Salt and pepper 2 onions, thinly sliced 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon dried oregano 3/4 cup dry red wine 1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce 1 cup beef broth 16 ounces dried rigatoni pasta 3 ounces Parmesan, shaved
DIRECTIONS
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large frying pan over high heat. Sprinkle the steaks with salt and pepper. Cook the steaks until they are brown but still rare in the center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the steaks to a plate and set aside to cool completely. Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan. Saute the onions and carrots until the onions are translucent, about 8 minutes, with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Add the garlic and oregano, and saute for 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer for 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce and broth. Cover and simmer over medium-low heat to allow the flavors to blend, about 10 minutes. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, trim off any fat from the steaks, then cut the steaks into bite-size pieces and set aside. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the rigatoni and boil until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Drain the rigatoni.
Toss the rigatoni and reserved steak pieces and any accumulated juices from the steaks with the sauce to coat. Transfer the pasta to bowls. Sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese shavings and serve.

Roasted Garlic Bread
INGREDIENTS
3 bulbs garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (1 pound) loaf Italian bread
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (optional)
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese (optional)
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice the tops off of the garlic bulbs so that the tip of each clove is exposed. Place the bulbs on a baking sheet, and drizzle with olive oil. Bake for 30 minutes, or until garlic is soft.
Set the oven to broil. Slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally, and place cut side up on a baking sheet.
Squeeze the cloves of garlic from their skins into a medium bowl. Stir in the butter, parsley, and Parmesan cheese until well blended. Spread onto the cut sides of the bread.
Broil for about 5 minutes, until toasted.

Pesto Stuffed Mushrooms
INGREDIENTS
20 large fresh mushrooms
2 tablespoons and 1-1/2 teaspoons olive oil
5 cups ricotta cheese
1-3/4 cups and 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1-3/4 cups and 2 tablespoons shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons pesto
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Wash mushrooms, remove stems, hollow out and brush inside and out with olive oil.
In a medium-size mixing bowl, combine cheese and pesto, reserving 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese for later. Stuff the cheese-pesto mixture into the mushroom caps. Arrange the caps on a cookie sheet. Sprinkle the mushrooms with the reserved Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cheese is bubbling and brownish.


Double Tomato Bruschetta
INGREDIENTS
6 roma (plum) tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil
3 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup fresh basil, stems removed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 French baguette
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven on broiler setting.
In a large bowl, combine the roma tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, vinegar, basil, salt, and pepper. Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.
Cut the baguette into 3/4-inch slices. On a baking sheet, arrange the baguette slices in a single layer. Broil for 1 to 2 minutes, until slightly brown.
Divide the tomato mixture evenly over the baguette slices. Top the slices with mozzarella cheese.
Broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Arugula Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette
INGREDIENTS
2/3 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice
2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
3/4 pound arugula - rinsed, dried and torn
2 pear, cored and sliced
2 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
DIRECTIONS
In a jar with a tight fitting lid, combine grapefruit juice, orange juice, olive oil, and salt. Shake vigorously.
In a salad bowl, combine arugula, pear, and red pepper. Drizzle dressing over salad, and toss to coat. Serve immediately.