if firenze holds my heart
then
roma holds my mind
many years ago
on a warm afternoon
guidebook in hand
i found myself
in rome
and
wandering
off the beaten track
and i was hungry
because
wandering can do that to a girl
i had been making my way towards the ghetto
because fried artichokes
are what dreams are made of
but i was silly
because it was saturday
and they honor the sabbath
in the ghetto
so i explored a bit more
and found
a charming restaurant
built in the substructure of the old teatro di pompeo
where the roman senate met
and where caesar was killed
and where i tried my very first
paglia e fieno
it means straw and hay
and it is a pasta dish
that makes my mind wander
and my heart sing
While this recipe is rich, I have made it a lot less rich by reducing the amount of dairy and substituting 1/2&1/2 for the cream
1/2 lb fettucine
1/2 lb spinach fettucine
olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, smashed but kept whole
2 Tbs unsalted butter
1/4 cup diced pancetta
3 Tbs finely chopped shallots
1 1 /2 cups sliced crimini or porcini mushrooms
1/2 cup frozen or fresh peas
3/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup half and half
finely grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
cook pasta in boiling salted water. meanwhile, make sauce. heat a large skillet and pour in enough olive oil to make a very thin layer. drop in the garlic and cook until the garlic browns. remove the garlic and throw away. put heat on low and toss in pancetta. do not let the pancetta crisp up. add the shallots and after a few minutes, pour in about 1/4 cup of the wine, and let it absorb. toss in the mushrooms. as they begin to soften and cook, drop in the peas. add the remaining wine, the half and half, and the butter, and slowly simmer to thicken a bit. Add the cooked pasta and toss to coat. add as much parmesan as you like...but it doesn't need much. don't add salt and pepper until after you add the cheese.
EAT UP!
* the restaurant in Rome is called Da Pancrazio