Sunday, September 5, 2010

Creamy Spinach Pasta with Pancetta and a Cookbook Giveaway!


First things first... the cookbook giveaway! I'm proud to have been asked to participate in the ThinkFood Cookbook which features brain-healthy recipes from 50 bloggers around the world. It was published by Posit Science and aims to bring awareness to brain diseases and gives advice on what foods are nurturing to your brain and body. The recipes all include 'brain-healthy' ingredients such as spinach, blueberries, matcha, pecans, cinnamon, garlic and dark chocolate. The book is absolutely gorgeous and I am honored to be a part of it.

Now, about how you can win this beauty of a cookbook! To enter the contest, simply comment on this post and tell me which recipe you are looking forward to try from my blog. Contestants must be from the United States or Canada to enter and the contest will end on Friday September 17th, at midnight. I will then randomly pick a winner and send you the book!

Now, for today's recipe! This is a take on pasta carbonara using pancetta and a healthy dose of spinach. It's nice and creamy and easy to put together. Just make sure you use good quality Parmesan as it really makes the dish. The eggs just slightly cook when tossed into the pasta and create that perfect amount of creamy goodness without using cream. It's really one of those perfectly comforting meals for the colder days ahead. I like to serve it with a simple tomato and crisp lettuce salad and finish the meal with a simple fruit salad such as this one.


Creamy Spinach Pasta with Pancetta
Serves 2

Penne pasta for 2
1/4 cup of diced pancetta
1 egg yolk + 1 whole egg
1/4 teaspoon of cracked black pepper
2 handfuls of baby spinach
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package instructions.

While the pasta is cooking, add the diced pancetta to a pan on medium low heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk and whole egg until the mixture is homogeneous. Add the cracked black pepper and Parmesan. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking water from the pasta to help temper the eggs. Whisk vigorously as soon as you add the water to the eggs.

Add the spinach to the pan with pancetta and saute for 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and stir through. Add the egg mixture and stir. Serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan. Enjoy!

64 comments:

Louise said...

The goat's cheese and tomato tart that you posted recently is on my list of things to make, however, with the cooler weather today in Montreal, the pasta you just posted feels more appropriate!!

Froggy said...

The Lime and Ricotta Cheesecake! As a student living in the dorm, it's really hard to make anything with a tiny electric stove, but the cheese cake looks sooooooo yummy!

Sara said...

I'm looking forward to trying that chocolate banana bread...yum!

Anonymous said...

I'd like to try to the goat cheese and tomato tart! mmm... goat cheese is delicious! And I agree with Louise, that pasta you posted today looks mighty fine too!

Anonymous said...

Gorgeous pasta dish and pictures. Yum!

Nisrine

Nive said...

I like to try your 'Lemon Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing, posed in the month of March...they look delicious..thanks for this giveaway...

ramvinayak_81@rediffmail.com

Torviewtoronto said...

lovely pasta
delicious

Prerna@IndianSimmer said...

I don't think you would believe but I'm really not exaggerating if I would say that I would love to try almost all your recipes at-least once but something that I have already made but was not as perfect as yours so I would keep trying until its looks the same as yours do and that recipe is that of BRIOCHE bread.

Prerna@IndianSimmer said...

Sorry I meant the banana bread :-)

Anjana said...

The zucchini Fritters look absolutely yummy! Want to try them soon..

Carrie's Classics said...

I'm really excited to try the fish tacos with mango salsa. They sound delicious! The fresh cherry and dulce de leche brownies are quite tempting as well!

Darina said...

I'm going to make the green onion, pancetta, and parmesan rolls. I love a savoury roll and this sounds like an awesome combination.

Your photos are lovely, as always. All of your recipes are fabulous.

betty said...

this looks so great- thanks for sharing :)

Taylor said...

I can't wait to make your apple crisp once the time is right this fall...I can't wait for all things apple, pumpkin, and cinnamon! Mmm!

Julie said...

I'd love to try the panzanella salad...I've been wanting to make some for a while and yours looks so colorful :)

Simones Kitchen said...

I didn't know you were featured in the cookbook! Cool! Congratulations!! Love the carbonara you made and I will definitely try this version!

Topher said...

I want to try the Cherry and Dulce de Leche Brownies. Mmm.. Thanks for the giveaway!


Chris

zekks at yahoo dot com

Deana Sidney said...

delicious looking recipe for a wonderful cause. I would love to support it and try the recipe for a brain boost! The photo makes it look just perfect!

Larissa said...

This recipe looks delicious. I love sneaking spinach into pasta dishes!

kimberleyblue said...

I've been looking forward to making the fresh cherry and dulce de leche brownies! I love the idea of using fresh cherries instead of the usual dried ones.

Lea Ann said...

I'm a big goat cheese fan so would love to try the tart!

Foodelf said...

The chocolate almond pear tarts have my name written all over them - can't wait to try them.

Thanks,

Foodelf

JuLo said...

I love matcha, I hunted for it for months before my friends tipped me off to a Japanese market that sold it. I'd love to try your matcha and chocolate swirl muffins. Yum! Good for my brain you say? Ok, I'll have 2! ;)

China Poblano said...

im looking forward to the garlic salmon over spinach!!

Vanessa said...

Anything creamy or pasta and I'm in! This looks delicious!

Megan @ Foodalution said...

Hands down....Chocolate and Plum Galette..delicious! Congrats of being part of this great vision for healing out body with healing foods!

Joan said...

I love spinach and pasta so I'm planning on trying Creamy Spinach Pasta with Pancetta but I also love tomato tarts and want to try the Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart.
joosbornenc@yahoo.com

Heidi said...

I'm looking forward to trying this one, actually.

SallyBR said...

Great recipe.... I love spinach, paired it with bacon quite often, but pancetta might make it just perfect!

Christina said...

I have a couple of posts of yours in my "to-cook" list including lemon pound cake and the curried scallops.

Jessica said...

How great! I can't wait to try this recipe!

Anonymous said...

I would like to make the Creamy Spinach Pasta with Pancetta. This recipe has spinach in it, and the one I've been making for years doesn't. Also, mine is made using fettucini. I will have to make it. Oh, and I agree, a good quality parmesan cheese freshly grated, of course, is a must!

Pleshette_Rose said...

I'd like to try the Zucchini Fritters.

Thanks for the giveaway.

Terri. said...

The Creamy Artichoke and Garlic Spaghetti was soooooo good and I can't wait to make the tomato and goat cheese tart.

spike said...

I'll be trying the goat cheese and tomato tart this weekend.

Mimi said...

I just bought the ingredients I needed for the goat cheese & tomato tart this morning, can't wait to try it!

Chocolate Shavings said...

Mimi: Let me know how it turns out, I hope you like it!

Jason said...

the goat's cheese tomato tart has everyone raving and I can't wait to join the folks who've tried it!

naomi said...

Following your note, first thing first, LOVE the giveway!!

Hmm,as for which one I'm going to try next. . hard choice-it's an old one of yours but either the Apple and Potato Fritters or your Chocolate Pear Cake.

Margaret Lynch said...

I'd love to try the Orichiette with spinach, shrimp and garlic, b/c I love love love garlic, and this recipe looks healthy too!

Anonymous said...

Your zucchini fritters are such a beautiful shade of green and you can never have too many options for zucchini this time of the year.

Ms. Lollipop said...

the creamy artichoke and garlic pasta!

catharine.ellie [at] gmail.com

NikiTheo said...

have been dying to try the goat cheese and tomato tart, and apparently so is everyone else! wow!

Shari said...

I want to try this recipe! Yum! It sounds and looks amazing. :) Thanks for sharing.

Anonymous said...

Well, I came here because I decided to finnaly get off my butt and try the Green Onion, Pancetta and Parmesan Rolls, but I have to say this pasta dish is almost irresistable!

Lisa said...

I want to try the Chocolate and Almond Pear Tarts.

Mollie O said...

I am making the Spinach Pasta tonight my sister and brother-in-law. SO excited to try it!

Mike C said...

I will be trying the Creamy Spinach Pasta with Pancetta for dinner, have all the ingredients already. Big thanks

Courtney said...

I don't think I've ever left a comment on a blog before, but this is worth it.

The Lime and Ricotta Cheesecake sounds ridiculous- in the best possible use of that word. In fact, I'm going grocery shopping today and will probably add "whole milk ricotta cheese" to my list.

Sara said...

Mmmmm, this pasta looks fantastic! I have your rosemary, walnut, and fleur de sel rolls bookmarked to make soon! :)

Lindsay said...

I am new to this blog. But I really like some of the things I see! I can not wait to try this recipe.

DanaS said...

Your shrimp-sugar-snap-pea-and-baby-bok-choi soup looks divine. One of my best friends from childhood recently lost her dad to brain cancer, so this post and this cookbook was particularly poignant. One of his favorite meals made by his wife was a dish he called 'Asian hot pot'. I think he would have really liked your soup as well. This is a cookbook that I would love to share with my friend and her mom. Thanks!

Meryl said...

I'd like to try the Goat Cheese and Tomato Tart.

Kara said...

The goat cheese and tomato tart looks amazing!

Hellga said...

Along with many others, I'm going to make the tomato and goat cheese tart.

This recipe intrigues me because I raise dairy goats and make cheese from the raw milk. I make both chevre and ricotta so the recipe is ideal for both varieties.

The yellow cherry tomatoes growing in my garden will also be a welcome addition.

Bethy said...

Your blog is awesome! I really want to try my hand at whipping up some of your Cherry and Dulce de Leche Brownies... They look delish! The spinach-pancetta pasta on this page looks pretty tasty too.

Rachel said...

Ooh what a wonderful idea for a cookbook. And the pasta looks delicious.

Graciela said...

I'm dying to try your Chicken Piccata recipe, as well as your version of Carbonara with Spinach. Both sound delicious and fairly simple, which is really important for me as a time-crunched college student! Thanks for the opportunity!

LKPheartsfood said...

Just one??? I was going to say goat cheese and tomato tart because I LOVE that combo, but the lure of the Cherry and Dulce de Leche Brownies is too strong to fight...

Toni said...

I want to try the Chocolate and Plum Galette. Yum!

natalie said...

Definitely the panzanella... sounds so fresh and delicious, and I'm starting to miss summer foods already!

Emily said...

I'd like to try the apple and potato fritters! My second choice is the zucchini fritters, because I love zucchini. I guess I'm in a fritter mood!

Matt Kay said...

I love the simplicity of this pasta. In fact pasta and greens are one of my favorites whether it be spinach or arugula. Add a little cheese and a creamy sauce or pesto and you're good to go.

Beautiful photography as well.

Matt Kay

Amanda said...

I just recently stumbled upon your blog, so at the moment a lot of things are looking tasty. Keep up the good work! Nutella Bites? Come on, you can't go wrong.

aheidt@ucsc.edu

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