A Cheese Store Dinner

Wine: Les Aphillanthes Cote-du-Rhone

Bea came over and we had some great wine along with an excellent dinner.

For the first course we had a Salad made from: Walnuts, Radicchio, Spanish Cheese Queso de Garioneado Cow / Goat Cheese from The Cheese Store of Silverlake and Saba. The recipe is from Sunday Suppers at Lucques.

When I stopped by The Cheese Store of Silverlake, Chris informed us that he was carrying a new Bacon, David’s Bacon. It is an artisanal Bacon that comes a slab, and he slices it to order. We decided to create a dinner around it. The oblivious choice was: Pasta Carbonara. We decided on the recipe from The Zuni Café Cookbook by Judy Rodgers. It is different from traditional ones in that it has both fresh peas and fresh ricotta cheese. We chose this recipe because peas are delicious right now at the Farmer’s Market. It is very rich and good.

For dessert we had the fabulous Ginger Cookies from The Cheese Store and Fresh Cherries from the farmer’s maket.

A great summer dinner.


PASTA alia CARBONARA
====================

THIS ROGUE VERSION OF CARBONARA IS BASED ON ONE I HAD IN ROME. It IS not
very saucy, and the ricotta makes it pleasantly curdy. The bacon should be crispy-tender and aromatic; don't be tempted to cook it in advance-you will sacri¬fice much of its aroma to convenience, and it will tend to harden. And don't sub¬stitute Parmigiano-Reggiano for the aged pecorino.
Serve with a chewy, dried semolina pasta shape that does not grab too much sauce: spaghetti, spaghettini, penne, or bucatini.

Wine: Bodega Norton, Mendoza, Argentina, Malbec Reserve, 1999
FOR 4 TO 5 SERVINGS:

5 ounces bacon {4 or 5 thick slices}, cut into 1/4- to i/2-inch segments
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large or 5 small eggs, at room temperature
About 2 ounces pecorino romano or 1/2 cup fresh ricotta cheese, at pecorino sardo, grated {1 cup lightly packed)
1 pound spaghetti, penne, or bucatini
Freshly cracked black pepper
Salt
About 3/4 cup shucked sweet English peas or mature sugar snap peas or double-peeled favas



Warm the bacon in the olive oil in a 12-inch skillet or 3-quart saute pan {see Note below) over low heat. It should gradually render a little fat, which will mix with the oil.
Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs with the ricotta.

Cook the Pasta until al dente.
When the pasta is about 1 minute from al dente, add the peas or favas to the water, and raise the heat under the bacon. Cook bacon till just crispy on the edges and soft in the middle. Let cool briefly.
Drain the pasta, and add to the pan with the bacon.
Immediately pour in the beaten eggs, all over the steaming pasta. Add most of the pecorino and lots of cracked black better and the ricotta and fold to combine.
Serve with additional pecorino and pepper.