I got the inspiration for this very basic pasta recipe from reading Under the Tuscan Sun. Besides being much better than the movie, it is also one of THOSE books. You know, the kind of book that suddenly makes you so hungry you want to start eating the the entire contents of your fridge in one sitting, even if it only contains some Tabasco sauce, nail polish and some moldy cheese.
Speaking of fridges, remember how mine DIED a few weeks ago and we had to get a new one within a few hours? Well, we did. We decided to go “Gently used” vs. new because the cheapest thing we could find new was $850.00 for a very basic fridge. God bless living in a relatively safe area where we could go look at a Craiglisted fridge at 8pm at night without it being weird for anyone.
We ended up with this BEAUTY.
I LURVE IT.
It’s a year-and-a-half old and retails for $2800. We got it for $800, so I was doing the happy dance of joy. It holds SO MUCH FOOD. The shelves all pull out and it makes my heart go pitter-pat every time I look at it.
The water features KILL ME. It measures ounces, liters, cups and water bottles.
It also has a rotating spigot so that it can handle a regular cup, then it rotates to the center for wide containers, and finally the spigot just out to the front so that you can fill up large pitcher’s and gallon jugs.
In celebration of my new fridge I whipped together a family favorite for dinner. I call it “Under the Tuscan Sun Pasta” in homage to the book that I took the recipe from. The biggest difference is that instead of using escarole (which I love but my kids think is too bitter), I use baby spinach.
1 package pasta (You can use any kind you want as long as it isn’t angel hair or thin spaghetti. I usually use regular spaghetti)
2-4 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach (Or escarole. Whatever floats your boat.)
1 package Pancetta or 1/2 package regular bacon (I recommend the pancetta)
I pint heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Parmesan Cheese (High quality cheese, please. If you use the powdered stuff in the green bottle from Kraft, I will personally hunt you down and toilet paper your house in revenge.)
Salt and pepper to tast
**
Boil pasta. Heat olive oil in a skillet (If you are using bacon instead of pancetta you don’t need to do this as regular bacon has much more fat). Make sure pancetta or bacon is cut into small pieces. Cook over medium high heat.
When the pancetta has browned, add heavy cream and lightly simmer. Do not drain the fat from the pan, as it will give the sauce flavor. Do NOT BOIL.
While that is simmering, cut baby spinach up unto large pieces. Be gentle. It is baby spinach after all and it can end up looking like hacked up yard rakings if you aren’t careful.
After you’re done, your sauce should be a little thicker but NOT MUCH. It will be very runny.
Drain your spaghetti and add cream and pancetta to spaghetti. Toss until the noodles are coated.
Toss in your spinach. Again, be somewhat gentle and fold it in.
When you have plated the pasta, grate mountains of Parmesan cheese over it (DO NOT DO IT BEFORE PLATED! You will end up with big, coagulated hunks of cheese everywhere and it just isn’t nice. Trust me.) Salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4-6.
Filed under: 
Yay for craigslist! I “lurve” it…and your fridge.
BTW…that pasta looks divine. I want to make it right now. Too bad it’s 1:30 a.m.! :o)
What a cool fridge….no pun intended…
Sharon’s last blog post..Happy Easter!
You just couldn’t resist bragging about your incredible fridge, eh? Now how am I going to go on, knowing that my fridge could be measuring out for my water bottle?
And I stand there eyeballing it, like an IDIOT!
Adam’s last blog post..Seriously? Come on. You have to be shitting me.
Thanks for the recipe. I make something similar, but would have a heart attack and digestive issues with heavy cream, oh, yeah, and I forgo the cheese because I have issues, and well, maybe it isn’t so similar but it has spinach in it. No Peep of the Week this Sunday? My computer kind of resurrected, but I thought I would do the post for tomorrow. Because, you know, I have to explain about the resurrection today.
witchypoo’s last blog post..Easter Puzzle
OH MY! I love your fridge. Droooool. That recipe sounds and looks delicious, too. I love me some pasta.
I have started scoping out Craigslist for a gently used couch for our dog. That’s right. Our DOG. She has pretty much destroyed the old one we have downstairs in our doggy suite. There are some amazing deals to be found.
Yay for pasta! I’m addicted to Noodles and Co., but I’d like to figure out how to recreate such dishes at home, since there’s no reason a small dish of pasta ought to cost $6. This recipe gives me ideas, so thanks.
OMG I’m so jealous of the new fridge…the water features are amazing. Glad you found something so nice! That pasta looks DEEEELICIOUS.
PS-I don’t think you should ever feel bad again about how your whole bootcamp thing is going. I played on a PLAYGROUND Friday afternoon and I am SO SORE. Seriously, it hurts to walk up stairs, and my abs feel like I’ve been doing sit-ups non-stop for 36 hours. It is PATHETIC. I almost got stuck in a slide and I have a gigantic bruise on my knee. I can’t believe sliding was such a workout. I guess I’ll be the idiot that’s next to the monkey bars stretching before I decide to play again.
That pasta looks delicious! I am going to try it since I am on Spring Break this week! Hee!
Oh and the fridge is amazing. We are in need of a fridge soon, I am so going to check out craigslist!
Happy Easter!!
Jen From 2Bee’s Hive’s last blog post..Get your Moody!
OM YUM.
and i love that new fridge! bitchin!
did i just say bitchin on your blog? what is it? 1993??
This sounds delicious.
SparklieSunShine’s last blog post..#22 We Must Be Crazy
The pasta sounds awesome, but I must confess I am salivating over your fridge! We totally cheaped out on buying our kitchen appliances because we had to buy them when we bought the house (because the stove didn’t work and there wasn’t a fridge so we just bought a set with matching fridge, stove and dishwasher). I wish we hadn’t done that, but it was in the middle of a huge move to an expensive housing market and we did what we had to do. And now I can’t justify replacing them “just because”.
Jill – GlossyVeneer’s last blog post..Something Girly: Clothes
WOW… this looks amazing! Sounds delicious too. Maybe I’ll have you make me some in a few months.
About the boot camp… I can’t do it in April. I have every Friday booked. Maybe May though.
That looks and sounds amazing. I’ll definitely be making it next week.
And I’m so jealous of your fridge, I can’t believe it.
janssen’s last blog post..In the Leafy Treetops
That pasta looks dee-lish. I just might try it.
Also? I didn’t know that fridges with features like that even existed. I heart your fridge.
rima’s last blog post..Paging Doctor Shakespeare
Wait! Is that a Diet Coke on the bottom shelf in the back there?
That pasta sounds luscious. Thanks for the share.
glittersmama’s last blog post..Introductions
I’m very envious of your fancy shmancy fridge! It’s so pretty! I’m also seriously salivating over that yummy looking pasta. I need to write down the ingredients so I can get them this week and make it.
P.S. How much Pancetta is in a package and how thick is it cut? I get mine at a meat counter.
hairyshoefairy’s last blog post..Craziness
You I’ve always liked stainless steel fridges – EXCEPT and this is a killer, fingerprints…
When I was a kid I did a stint in fast food – and having to wipe down every freaking piece of stainless steel equiptment, I got to resent it…
But man, I want a new fridge…lucky
Jonathan Merchant’s last blog post..Annual Zoo Trip (2008)
Heh, I worked a lot of years in kitchens, so I hear you on how much of a pain it can be. BUT…it isn’t bad for fingerprints at all. It’s a modified stainless steel that they developed specifically for that problem.
well then, if that’s the case (you can see the last time i looked at new fridges) i might just have to keep my eyes open….
Jonathan Merchant’s last blog post..Some CommentLuv for all
Hey Loralee,
Congratulations on the fridge. We have purchased our first stainless fridge too recently. I was against it because of the “fingerprint myth” but the wife seems to have a way with the thing. Never much than a smudge. Also, I refuse to purchase the Ground-up camel hooves that Kraft calls Parmesan. There is no match to the real thing. If your readers have never tried it, tell them they MUST. Have a great week.
So it turns out that CL isn’t just for perverts anymore!
I’m going to bookmark this and make it up when I cook this weekend. I’m looking for all sorts of healthy new stuff. I have a few too that I might post about. My favorite is Tandoori chicken that could not be any easier to make.
http://busycooks.about.com/od/chickenbreastrecipes/r/tandoorichicken.htm
Doug’s last blog post..MIA
The title of this post is about pasta while some contents and comments are about the fridge.. It got me confused on whether or not this is about the fridge or the pasta. hehehe.. Anyway, nice post (and you’ve got a very very nice fridge too!). I’ll surely add this (the pasta not the fridge) on my pasta recipe collection. Thanks for posting this. Really enjoyed reading this.. Thanks again..
–Stephen
The title of this post is about pasta while some contents and comments are about the fridge.. It got me confused on whether or not this is about the fridge or the pasta. hehehe.. Anyway, nice post (and you’ve got a very very nice fridge too!). I’ll surely add this (the pasta not the fridge) on my pasta recipe collection. Thanks for posting this. Really enjoyed reading this.. Thanks again..
Awesome fridge. What a great find. I need a new fridge and did not even think of CL. I’ll have to check it out. I am always on the look out for good recipes to make. Your pasta dish sounds delicious. Thanks.
Erica @ Cook Quick Easy Recipess last blog post..Healthy Snack Ideas- Healthy Eats for Moms on the Run
Thanks about this for this reason it is so important for me. Thanks again :)
Oh my that does look good and it is easy and quick, the perfect weekday recipe.
The first American pasta manufacturing facility was opened in Brooklyn, New York, in 1848, by a Frenchman called Antoine Zerega.