A Pinch of Salt, A Dash of Sass.pasta Archives - A Pinch of Salt, A Dash of Sass.

Sunday Red Gravy: Spaghetti and Meatballs

on October 5, 2014 by Michelle in Dinner, Entertaining, How-to, Meat, Pasta, Pork, Tips & Tricks, Uncategorized, Veggies, Wine ⋅ Leave a comment

I’m not Italian, but I can’t deny the appeal of a house that smells like slow-cooked tomato sauce — the herbs, the garlic, a hint of pork, maybe some soft Italian bread. Here in Oklahoma where I live, autumn is creeping in and the evenings are becoming perfectly chilly. Excellent weather for some spaghetti and meatballs, don’tcha think? I can’t tell you this is my Grandma Nonna’s recipe handed down for generations, but it’s dang easy, and super tasty. It’s also great for feeding a crowd, or very versatile for leftovers! Here’s my take on what a lot of Italian-Americans call, “Red Gravy,” which is a meat-based hearty tomato sauce.
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Easy Meal: Pasta Carbonara!

on September 17, 2014 by Michelle in Dinner, Entertaining, Food Porn, From the Farm, How-to, Lunch, Meat, Pasta, Pork, Recipes, Tips & Tricks ⋅ 2 Comments

Okay so, I know I haven’t been around much and I have to sincerely apologize — between house guests, yard work, a clown, caretaker and character of a bulldog, and lots and lots of the kind of work that actually pays me, I’ve been kind of swamped! I felt it only right that one of the first nights I was back to cooking for “just us,” I should share this inexpensive and simple dinner idea with you: pasta carbonara.

Pasta carbonara is quite literally, pasta with bacon and eggs. I know it initially kind of SOUNDS a little odd, but let me tell you — it’s super easy, it’s fast, it’s a crowd pleaser, and it’s very, very affordable to make. Let’s eat!

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Pasta Bolognese (Italian Meat Ragout)

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Ever since we had John’s Baked Ziti a few weeks ago, I’ve been jonesing for pasta. I didn’t need anything particularly cheesy, but I really wanted the richness and comfort of some meaty noodles. Meaty. Noodles.

I had always wanted to try to make a ragu/ragout style meat sauce, and started checking around for ideas and recipes involving bolognese. “Authentic” Italian bolognese isn’t a tomatoey marinara spaghetti sauce with meat, like most of us grew up on. It’s really focused on the meat, and has a base of fresh caramelized veggies. The more recipes and pictures I perused, the more clear it became that I had to make pasta with bolognese sauce.

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