Spaghetti Carbonara
This is a recipe for those times when you have nothing at home to cook dinner from. And really, spaghetti, eggs and a piece of bacon is something you should have lying around to be cooking from scratch in the first place :) And if you have some cheese to grate over this dish- perfect! This is a great classic pasta recipe- creamy, rich in flavor and without using any heavy cream! It really is possible.
100 g bacon
1 garlic clove
200 g spaghetti
1 egg
40 g (2-3 tbsp) Parmesan or Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and pepper
1. Cut the bacon into 5-7 large squares.
2. Heavily salt a large pot of water (general rule when cooking any kind of pasta) and bring to boil, add the spaghetti and cook as directed on package.
3. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg and add the grated cheese, set aside.
4. Fry the bacon on a pan and once the pieces are golden, press the garlic clove through the press, add pepper and stir. When the garlic becomes fragrant, remove pan from heat.
5. Drain the spaghetti, but leave a little of the water in a cup (approx 150 ml).
6. Add the cooked spaghetti to the pan with the bacon and put the pan on the heat again. Add a little of the pasta water- just enough to make a sauce.
7. Remove from heat and slowly add the egg and cheese mixture, stir to create a creamy sauce. If necessary, add more pasta water.
8. Serve while hot.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ārija Avota
Apple and pomegranate salad with walnuts
This is a salad with a distinct aroma of winter- sweet, fragrant and also beautiful looking. This is a great companion for meat dishes and also looks good on the table. And even on its own, this salad tastes great with some fresh bread for a light and delicious pre-holiday meal.
1 large sweet/sour apple, cut into thin slices (a red apple looks best)
the seeds of 1 pomegranate
100 g roasted, chopped walnuts
1 package of fresh salad greens
For the sauce
1 tsp honey
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tbsp apple vinegar
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Makes 4 portions
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Roast the walnuts on a pan for about 8 min, until fragrant. Let cool and then chop.
2. Deseed the apple and slice in very fine slices.
3. Tear the salad and place in a large bowl (the one you will be serving in). Add the apple slices.
4. In a cup or small bowl, mix together the vinegar, salt, honey and chopped onion. Then gradually pour in the olive oil, constantly whisking the sauce with a fork.
5. Pour the sauce over the salad and carefully mix. This must be done only before serving.
6. Finally add the pomegranate and walnuts over the salad.
Recipe: Ārija Avota
Photo: Ieva Andersone