Giada's ~Not So Bikini Ready~ Pasta

It was a chilly rainy day yesterday, so I was looking for some comfort food. This was pretty good and I added peas to give it some color.

Chicken Carbonara
2 teaspoons olive oil

4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped (I used Prosciutto)

2 teaspoons minced garlic

2 1/2 cups whipping cream

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan

8 large egg yolks (I used 4 ~ and split the entire recipe in half.)

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Salt 1 pound spaghetti

4 cups coarsely shredded chicken ~ used grilled chicken

Freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (Did not use)

1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.
Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve.

Giada's "Get Bikini Ready" Carrot Salad

I don't know that Giada has ever had to get "bikini ready", but I did like this salad as I found some spectacular carrots at Whole Foods the other day.

1 1/2 pound large carrots, trimmed and peeled (about 8 carrots)

2 firm pears (recommended: D'Anjou)

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves (had to use dry...worked well)

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 tablespoon curry powder

2 teaspoons honey (I used mango chutney because I didn't have any and it worked nicely.)

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Using a vegetable peeler cut the carrots lengthwise into thin ribbons or slices. Quarter, core, and stem the pears. Using a knife, slice into very thin strips. Place the carrot and pear slices in a large bowl with the chopped parsley.
In a blender combine the white wine, curry powder, honey, salt, and pepper and blend to combine. With the machine running add the olive oil. Pour the dressing over the carrots and pears. Toss to combine and serve immediately.