Whole Wheat Linguini alla Carbonara

Holy moly, I had no idea that pasta alla carbonara was so easy to make. Seriously, this tastes so good and will impress people, but you don't need to spend all day slaving in the kitchen. It takes about a half hour to make (as long as you make the bacon ahead of time, that is). I adapted this from my BHG cookbook, and we instantly added it to my list of weeknight dinners.


Ingredients:

7 slices of bacon, cooked until crispy and crumbled into small pieces
6 oz whole wheat linguini
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
Ground pepper

1) Cook linguini until al dente and drain.

2) Meanwhile, for the sauce, combine egg, milk, and butter in a small saucepan. Cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat for about 7-8 minutes. Immediately pour it over the linguini and toss gently.

3) Add cheese, parsley, and bacon; toss gently. Grind fresh pepper on top.

VOILA! Yummiest meal ever. It's pretty heavy, though, so serve it with a nice, light salad.

Easy Cheesy Pesto Casserole Goodness

2 chicken breast, cooked and chopped*
8 oz rotini
6 oz pesto (I recommend the Buitoni kind in the refrigerated pasta section)
6 oz ricotta cheese
1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella or Italian cheese blend

* If you want to go meatless, just add in some yummy veggies like broccoli etc.

** You can also add pareseam cheese if you want more cheesiness.

Preheat oven to 400.

Cook rotini for 2 minutes less than the package directions specify. Drain well and transfer it to a bowl. Stir in chicken, pesto, ricotta, 3/4 cup mozzarella. Mix up and transfer it to a casserole type dish. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella.

Bake until the cheese is melted, about 20 minutes. Turn the oven to broil and broil for 1 minutes or until golden.