There’s one dish you can generally serve children and know they’re going to eat it, and that’s spaghetti. I say “generally” because it isn’t a hard and fast rule.
When one of our grandsons was young and would spend the day with us I’d ask Sam what he wanted for lunch and he’d always ask for the same thing: buttered noodles with “shake cheese” (what he called the grated Parmesan that comes in a shake bottle. He would have several helpings of it, while his grandpa and I could barely get down one. But, I’d rather make one of their favorites and know they’ll eat it, than fix something their grandpa and I would prefer.
Pasta lovers vary; some prefer red sauces while others prefer white. My grandson’s tastes broadened when he became a teenager and now they include even a few white sauce Italian dishes. I ran across this recipe just last week and am eager to see it passes the “Sam” test when he returns from Scout camp next week.
I’ve already tried it out, tweaking it a bit, and enjoyed it. The recipe is quick and easy to make which is a plus this time of year to help keep the kitchen cool. I made some garlic/cheese bread to go with it, and the leftovers the next day were even better than the first. The following is my “tweaked” version of the recipe. LINGUINI CARBONARA
1 pound of linguini pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 slices bacon
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jar commercial Alfredo sauce (your favorite brand)
1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, cut into about six chunks
1/2 cup, plus 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
1 pinch each; salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Cook linguini until al dente; drain well. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and set aside.
In a large skillet, cook bacon until slightly crisp; remove and drain bacon on paper towels. Reserve 2 tablespoons bacon fat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat in reserved skillet. Add chopped onion; cook till onions are translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Pour Alfredo sauce into pan with garlic and onions over low heat and add cut-up cream cheese, stirring to blend cheese with sauce and to prevent sauce from sticking to bottom of the pan. When smooth, add 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese and continue stirring until well blended. Remove from heat.
Crumble bacon and set aside. Combine linguini with sauce until it’s completely coated. Add crumbled bacon and stir until all combined.
Pour onto a serving platter (or if it’s made ahead of meal time, put into a large baking dish so it can be re-heated quickly in a microwave). Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan and parsley over the top of pasta when ready to serve. Serves 8 or more.
Note: If the pasta sauce becomes too thick, just add a few tablespoons of milk and blend well.
Brotherton offers website readers one stellar recipe a week in the “My Leader Yummy” feature.
Looking for a recipe you can’t find? Email me at kbrotherton42@gmail.com and I’ll see if I have it.
