another great recipe

Hi all!  So, I have another great recipe to share. Apparently I'm just full of recipes lately, or just plain full of it. Take your pick!  But before I get to that, wanted to share what we've been up to.

First of all, we just threw a birthday party for my grandmother who turned 90 this Saturday.  We had all of my mom's family over and I think everyone had a really good time.  Well, I know my grandma did, and I guess that's all that matters!

For those who are unaware, Matt has been working on the new Sporting KC soccer stadium at the Legends.  Last Thursday was the home opener and boy did they put on a show!  First of all, the stadium is beautiful - way to go Matt and Turner Construction!  They had fireworks during the national anthem and a fly-over.  Plus, Lance Armstrong was there, so Matt was in heaven.  The storms held off and the weather was perfect besides being a tad warm.  There was even a guy who ran out onto the field dressed in a cow costume and kicked the ball into the goal.  Pretty funny, especially when the security tackled him in the corner.  All-in-all, it was a great night and a great opening for a beautiful stadium. 

Look how cute the bathroom signs are!

We, and by we, I mean me, planted our new white pine last Friday night (promise I'll get a picture up soon!). It was the biggest dang hole I have ever dug in my life.  Should have actually taken a picture - it was impressive.  So, after pulling a couple muscles to get the tree drug around to the back and standing upright, we now have a beautiful pine in our back corner flower bed.

Now some of you may be wondering why my husband wasn't involved with any of this - well, he got into a bike accident over Memorial weekend and ended up fracturing his left elbow.  Which basically means, he has been whining constantly about not being able to bike and leaving ALL the heaving lifting jobs up to me.  Just wonderful. 

That basically sums up our life lately.  Been pretty crazy lately between work and everything else, but I've still managed to get in some pool time so I really can't complain!

Now, back to the recipe. It's from one of my favorite blogs, Pioneer Woman, and it is a must-make.  We love the sauce and it has leeks, which are one of my favorite things right now.  They're sort of like an onion but aren't as strong and have a touch of spiciness to them.  Very nice.

Here you go - enjoy!

Pasta with Pancetta and Leeks

Ingredients:
12 ounces pasta, cooked al dente (used bowtie/farfalle)
Reserved pasta water, if needed
3 ounces chopped pancetta (can also use thinly sliced bacon - we use turkey bacon)
3 whole leeks, slicey thinly
1/2 cup dry white wine (Pioneer Woman uses Pinot Grigio, we use a cooking wine)
1/2 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper, to taste
Parmesan cheese, shaved or shredded
(You can also add anything else you might have on hand, I used mushrooms)

Directions:
1) Cook pasta and set aside.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.

2) To cup up the leeks - lop off the ends and tops (start cutting at the point where the green starts getting dark and looking tough). Peel off the outer layer.  Slice thinly.

Source

3) Saute chopped pancetta until fat is rendered and it starts to brown.  Add sliced leeks and cook for about 10 minutes (until leeks have softened).  Add a little butter and cook for a couple minutes.  Pour in wine, then cook an additional 1-2 minutes, until reduced.

4) Reduce heat to low, then pour in cream.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

5) Turn off heat and toss in pasta, adding a little pasta water to thin if needed.  Serve with Parmesan cheese over top.