Bucatini all'Amatriciana: The Best Pasta and Tomato Sauce You Will Ever Eat

I first learned of this recipe in one of my first non-Betty-Crocker cookbooks, Mario Batali's Molto Italiano. I first made this about 6 years ago. For those of you who know me, you know that I rarely make the same dish twice. In fact, I get bored after 1 night, even if I like it. Life is short, and there are too many recipes to try.

So naturally, when I make something more than 3 times, you know its got to be GOOD. Don't take my word for it. If I lived alone, I might have forgotten about it by now. After all, its way too mainstream now, and I'm an irritating recipe hipster. But whenever I ask my husband, Dan, what I should make for dinner...he always, always requests "Bacon Pasta" (the much easier way to say "Bucatini all'Amatriciana"). Not just him - family and friends have asked for it time and again. So now, with this post, you can quit nagging me to make this dish, and make it yourself! But don't forget to invite me over...

Mac salad, the king of side dishes

We just finished an epic Memorial Day weekend full of friends and fun, and hosted a luau-ish style party! We have never been to Hawaii, so you'll have to forgive me for my lack of authenticity.

We needed to come up with a Hawaiin style main dish and side that was easy to make and a real crowd-pleaser. Luckily, that isn't too hard, these folks know how to eat! My favorite is the "Plate Lunch". The Plate Lunch typically consists of a protein (pork, beef, chicken, or fish) in some sort of BBQ or teriyaki or other awesomeness, served with rice and a side of my all time favorite food ever, macaroni salad - or as the locals like to affectionately call it, "mac salad" for short.

Momofuku. Buy the book, and wait in line. Trust me.

Look! I do book reviews too!

I’ve been hearing about this place for just about ever. Every time I go back home, I often feel overwhelmed at the choices of new trend-setting restaurants that define the New York scene – such that, my desire to go to Momofuku Ko was outdated. Since 2008, this place was plastered in every food magazine, website, and television show for “best of” – but by the end of 2012, the chatter mostly petered out to be replaced by the-next-best-thing (and oh, there are so many…). But I didn’t forget (and thanks to a college friend who came to visit us in Sacramento to remind us about this place).

A pasta dish that covers all the flavor elements: orecchiette with eggplant and burrata

Orecchiette with Marinated Eggplant, Chiles, and Burrata (modified from Food and Wine, July 2010)
This will be the first of my recommended recipes series. As you may know, I'm not very good yet at completely inventing my own dishes (I'm working on it though, and it will be better than the bizarre foods of my youth...). Until then, I am currently an obsessive fan of Food and Wine, I subscribe to the annual recipe books and hound their website every day looking for amazing new dishes to try. I'm rarely disappointed, and I usually learn something new, like a flavor or wine pairing, or use of a new ingredient.

The author of this Puglia-based recipe, Missy Robbins, is one amazing chic (I say that because this recipe is amazing). She apparently is Executive Chef A Voce in New York, and was awarded one of F&W's Best New Chefs of 2010. Honey, I will get to A Voce one day! I swear! I will make the pilgrimage after having this dish.
This recipe calls for one of the odder pasta shapes, the orecchiette, which in Italian, means something like "small ear". This pasta holds sauces very well, and is better for those that just coat the shape. Its a fun texture.