Ciao amici! Hello my friends!
Another week and month has gone by! May is here and this is a special month for us Moms and Nonnas since Mother’s Day is only a few days away! I want to wish all those beautiful Moms and Nonnas a very Happy Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day makes me realize how blessed I am to be a Mom and Nonna but also realize how lucky I was to have such a wonderful mom, and I wish she were still here.
My mom was the kindest, sweetest, most affectionate person I’ve ever known! She was loved by all who knew her. My mom was also a brave and strong woman. I’ll tell you why.
My mom was petite, and she suffered serious complications after giving birth to my older brother. She nearly died but she was strong and made it through. Her physician advised her not to have anymore children, but I came along unexpectedly and, at seven months pregnant, she suffered a major stroke at the very young age of 26.
The doctors told my dad they would not be able to save both my mom and me and, therefore, to make a choice. My dad was devastated, but mom told him not to choose. She said she had faith that God would see us through.
My mom refused to give up and spent the next two months in a hospital bed. With her strength, love, and faith, she gave birth to me without any difficulties, and we both survived. Her stroke, however, left her without the use of her left hand and a weak left leg. Despite limping on her left leg and use of only one hand, my mom never complained. She figured out a way to complete all of her tasks despite this, and I admired her for that.
I was always close with my mom, and I took care of her and my dad in my own home until they passed away. My mom used to say that she would have been willing to give up the use of both her hands to have me and that I was her blessing.
My mom and me
My mom suffered from dementia and then Alzheimer’s in her later years, but, up until the day she died, she always recognized me! Her face would light up when I entered her room and she would say the sweetest things.
I loved my mom so much and miss her dearly.
My ending message for you this week is to cherish every moment you spend with your mom. Call your mom and call her often! Tell her you love her, admire her, thank her for all she did and for her sacrifices.
This week’s recipe is again quick and easy and a favorite meal my mom would make. I have been trying to choose more simple recipes for the beginning of my food journey with you. We will get more advanced as we go along, but, for now, enjoy my version of Pappardelle with Peas and Pancetta.
As always, thank you for your support and hope to see you all again soon in my kitchen!
Until next week,
Bacioni (Big Kisses)!
Nonna Antoinette
PAPPARDELLE WITH PEAS & PANCETTA
IN A PINK SAUCE
This is a twist on an Italian classic recipe, Pappardelle with Peas and Pancetta. The original uses plain cream or no cream at all. I wanted a little more color and flavor, so I came up with this pink version. I was not disappointed with the results and neither will you!
Ingredients:
8 oz pancetta, diced small
4 Tbls Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tbls onion, chopped
12 oz bag frozen peas, cooked according to package directions
1 pint container cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
12 oz light cream
12 oz package Pappardelle or Fettuccine, cooked Al dente
Salt and pepper to taste
Grated parmesan to sprinkle on top
Directions:
Fill a pasta pot with water 3 inches from top and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan over a medium flame, add olive oil and diced pancetta. Stir often. When pancetta is translucent, add chopped garlic and onion. Continue to stir. Once pancetta, garlic and onion are golden, remove crispy pancetta bits from the pan and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add cut up tomatoes and stir well. Cook for about 3 minutes or until water released by the tomatoes has evaporated.
Slowly add the cream while stirring. Remove from flame.
Allow to cool down a bit and pour tomato/cream mix into a food processor. Run on high until a smooth sauce is formed. Pour sauce back into sauté pan.
Add pancetta and cooked peas.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Keep warm over low flame, covered to avoid sauce from drying out. By now, the pasta water should be boiling.
Add a teaspoon of salt and the fettuccine. Cool al dente, according to package directions. Save a cup of pasta water and drain the fettuccine. Immediately add them to the sauté pan and stir gently until all pasta is covered with sauce. In case the sauce is dry, add some reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until desired consistency is achieved.
Sprinkle with a generous amount of grated Parmesan.
Continue to stir gently over low flame for about a minute. Serve hot. Tips:
You may substitute fettuccine for the Pappardelle, which are the wide version of fettuccine.
If you don’t like tomatoes, skip that part of the recipe and only use the cream.
If you can’t find pancetta, you may substitute with diced thick bacon.
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