Pasta ala Checca...and the Mackenzie-Childs Table

For many years, I have been enjoying a summer pasta dish that I refer to as Pasta ala Checca. My basil fairy watches over me throughout the summer :-)

The Pasta ala Checca "recipe" was shared by a nurse that I used to work with. Just minutes to prepare, and full of flavor. Never thought to blog about it until I saw a similar recipe on Savoring Time in the Kitchen.  Another summer pasta dish that I make quite often is from Giada DeLaurentiis, and is called Spaghettini with Checca Sauce.

Tonight I made Pasta ala Checca, and added some herbed breadcrumbs as mentioned on Savoring Time in the Kitchen's blog. Using homemade croutons, I put them in my food processor with a several basil leaves and minced into breadcrumbs.

The herbed crumbs are a nice addition.

Place fresh, chopped tomatoes and basil, minced garlic and olive oil in a bowl and let the wonderful flavors marinate for the day. I add a little sea salt. Serve over warm pasta with grated parmesan and herbed breadcrumbs. That's it! Sometimes I add a meatball or Italian sausage to the plate.  

  You may recall that I recently went to the Mackenzie-Childs Barn Sale and bought a Courtly Check table. Even though I don't have the chairs yet (they are on order), I decided to set the table tonight. The center piece is the abundance of tomatoes and basil that I will be using this weekend to make sauce for the freezer.  

Do you spy that little chandelier? I was shopping with the girls around the time of my birthday, and found it in a cute little shop. It will always remind me of a special day in Sharon Springs with the girls.

This was the first year I grew Chocolate Cherry Tomatoes, and they are finally ready to pick. They took forever to mature! I am very impatient when it comes to tomatoes. LOL

Thank you for stopping by!

Debbie

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

I have been craving Lemon Ricotta pancakes. I refer to them as my Mother's Day pancakes since I made them for Mom her special day :-) The aroma is worth it alone! If you need a lemon fix on a winter day, this is it! I cut the recipe in half, and used skim milk ricotta. Going with a lemon yellow theme, I pulled out my cookware that I got from the Barn Sale at MacKenzie-Childs in Aurora, NY. Fun stuff!

Lemon-Ricotta Hot Cakes
From NY Times - Adapted from the Four Seasons Hotel in New York

6 Large eggs, separated
1 ½ cups whole-milk ricotta cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ t. pure vanilla extract
½ C. all purpose flour
¼ C sugar
½ t. salt
2 Tablespoons grated lemon zest
Powdered sugar for dusting

Heat a griddle. Whip egg whites until they hold firm glossy peaks, and
set aside. Beat ricotta, butter, egg yolks, and vanilla together and set
aside.

Whisk together flour, sugar, salt, and zest. With a rubber spatula,
stir dry ingredients gently into the ricotta mixture. Stir a spoonful of whipped
egg whites into the batter then gently fold in the remainder.

Grease the heated griddle, if necessary. Drop 3 tablespoons of batter for
each hotcake on the griddle, allowing space for spreading. Cook until
golden on the bottom and the top shows a bubble or two. Gently flip, and cook
until undersides are light brown. Dust with powdered sugar.