Spaghetti with Bacon and wine + Italiano Grilled Vegetables

Ak called it “The Quickie Part 2”. I would just say- it was ‘The Use- everything- in- the- Fridge Quickie’.

So, Ak was away yet another time; and that has its advantages and disadvantages. The plus being- I spent the night at parents (Ak+My parents+His Mom: of course- I couldn’t stay alone! Yes people- I have never stayed alone!), and the minus being- the mixed bag of emotions, it brought along. I hate leaving my parents place- yes. I do. each and every time I walk out. Finally when I was back, I was trying to evaluate the pros and cons while feeling horrible - and I did not find a winner.

+@Tk Home: I get to eat stuff that My mom knows I love

-@261: I do consider it home- which means that I miss it.

+@261: I appreciate it much more. That bed is definitely now my bed

-@Tk Home: My room is not my room anymore + Living out of a bag is not fun

+@Tk Home: The unnecessary chit chat till late hours of the night

-@261: All the fresh veggies were not so fresh after my 2 days of being away!

+@261: Well- I get to indulge in more cooking to drown my sorrows for the day J

Simply unacceptable, but Alas, such is life. 

Life in fact, has been so hectic in the last few weeks that my fridge has been stocking up. I have been mostly on a baking spree, and suddenly realized that in the absence of no cooking for 2 days- we had enough things that needed to be cooked on an ASAP basis. So, Brother Ak came over to help me with technology, and got treated to my favorite ham sandwiches, while the other Ak was driving back to Delhi, to be in time for dinner.

I discovered that I had a lot of bacon and peppers (red, green and yellow- Yes, I like to keep my options open) to work with. One of my all-time favorite dishes has been the Penne with Bacon at one of Delhi’s first few Truly Italian restaurants- The Big Chill. Not only does the place hold a lot of special memories for anyone who has been in the age group of 18-26, during that time, but till date, it serves some wonderful food and scrumptious desserts. In due course of time, I have grown over my need to pay a visit there every week, and only occasionally go for dessert, but the food, is surely worth the frequent visit. The Penne with bacon is one of the lighter pasta dishes (most of the others are heavy on cheese and are baked) and has a slightly spicy touch to it. Since Ak is not a Spicy food person, I skipped the dried red chilies and did my own take on it with some left over red wine.  Further, I used spaghetti instead of Penne– simply for its appeal as comfort food. The results were suitably impressive- if I may say so myself, and the accompanying grilled peppers were a brilliant addition to the otherwise unadorned meal. The vegetables are just something that I have cooked up- from my understanding of Italian ingredients. Have been quite the winner, almost everytime I have cooked them. Feel free to improvise!

p.s Sadly, there are no process shots- I wasn’t planning to post this. But the results were so good, Ak convinced me to document it.

For Spaghetti with Bacon

150 g bacon, with fat removed (fat removal is optional)

200 g Spaghetti, boiled

2 Tomatoes, shredded with their juices or half a can of chopped tomatoes

2 Onions, Sliced

2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup Red Wine (optional)

Salt/Pepper/Thyme or oregano

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat some olive oil, and add the onions till they turn golden brown. Add the garlic, and cook for another minute. Then add the tomatoes and wine, cooking for about 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and pepper, and finally the bacon. Cook until the bacon turns golden. Finally, toss the spaghetti in this sauce. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

For Italiano Grilled Vegetables

1 Red Pepper (chopped into ¾ in pieces)

1 Green Pepper (chopped into ¾ in pieces)

1 Yellow Pepper (chopped into ¾ in pieces)
Brocolli ( Steamed for 2-3 minutes and Chopped)
Babycorn (Steamed for 2-3 minutes and Chopped)

1 Onion (chopped into ¾ in pieces)

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

¼ Table spoon Balsamic Vinegar

¼ Teaspoon Soya Sauce

2 Teaspoons Brown sugar (muscavado)

Salt/Pepper/ mixed herbs or rosemary

Parmesan cheese (optional)

Heat some olive oil, and add the garlic till it turns golden brown. Add the balsamic vinegar, a dash of soya sauce, and add the salt and pepper. Add the vegetables and cook, in a covered pan for about 2 minutes, tossing in between. Cook until the peppers are slightly done- not soggy (about 2 more minutes). Garnish with parmesan cheese.

Serve with toasted bread.