The first way is rather traditional made with spaghetti and lots of cheese and pepper!

The second is prepared with spaghetti squash! Equally as delicious, gluten free and low carb friendly!

If I may, for just a minute, share the highlights of our weekend. There’s a Jump to Recipe button just above if you’d like to skip the recap. No hard feelings :)

I planned and delivered a Tailgate Luncheon Birthday Party for 45 people on Saturday! eeeek!

It was such an amazing experience AND they loved it!!

Tailgate Luncheon Menu

• Slow Smoked Pulled Pork Sliders with 4 BBQ Sauces, including White BBQ Sauce
• Classic Coleslaw
• Three Cheese Mac ‘n’ Cheese
• Baked Beans
• Asian Beef Meatballs
• Chili Cheese Dog Tailgate Sliders
• Mardi Gras Wings with Celery/Carrots/Ranch Dressing
• From the Earth Salad with Sherry Vinaigrette
• Buffalo Chicken Dip with Tostitos Scoops
• Apache Bread Dip with Fritos Scoops
• Million Dollar Bacon (for the Bloody Mary Bar)

After being apart for six weeks, our bus is back home – better than ever!! We took her to the VW Invasion at Caffeine & Octane on Sunday. Incredible group of passionate car owners! I made a video recap and shared it on TikTok!

After several days of planning and cooking, followed by the camaraderie we experienced at the car show….I’m pretty high on life!

With that great energy I’m making Cacio e Pepe. Cheese and pepper pasta (or cheese & pepper spaghetti squash).

My first taste of this dish was during a dream Italian vacation Nick and I took a couple years ago. The first leg of our trip was in Rome where we aptly took a “Cooking Class in Rome.”

We have relived this trip over and over through stories we’ve shared and recipes we’ve recreated at home. At the close of our class, our instructor, chef Andrea, gave us these words of advice. Do not leave Rome without having Cacio e Pepe.

He went further and recommended the restaurant Roma Sparita which was walking distance from our hotel. Little did we know at the time that Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservation’s in Rome episode featured this very dish.

I decided to share this recipe made in a parmesan cheese bowl, just the way it was served at Roma Sparita!

Well, almost the same way. I’m serving mine with spaghetti squash, but you do you!

How To Cook Spaghetti Squash

• Cut squash in half
• Use a spoon to scrape out the seeds
• Coat cut side with olive oil, sprinkle with salt & pepper
• Place cut side down on baking sheet
• Bake at 400 degrees F. for 45 minutes
• Using two forks, scrape the squash strands from skins

Cacio e Pepe Basic Steps

• Melt butter in a pan over medium heat
• Add freshly cracked pepper and toast for 1 minute
• If using pasta add in an little pasta water
• Add in cooked pasta or spaghetti squash
• Stir to coat with butter & pepper, reduce heat to low
• Sprinkle with pecorino romano cheese and toss to combine
• For spaghetti squash swirl in a little cream (in place of pasta water)
• Serve in parmesan crisp bowl

This dish is Italian comfort food made from the simplest of ingredients. It’s cheesy with a nice peppery finish. The Parmesan Crisp Bowl is like dessert!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Cacio e Pepe Spaghetti Squash (served in Parmesan Crisp Bowls

This dish is Italian comfort food made from the simplest of ingredients. It's cheesy with a nice peppery finish. The parmesan crisp bowl is like dessert!

Course Entree

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 55 minutes minutes

Servings 2

Ingredients

For the Spaghetti Squash

• 1 medium spaghetti squash
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• salt & pepper

For the Parmesan Crisp Bowls

• 1 cup parmesan cheese finely shredded

For the Cacio e Pepe

• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
• 3-4 cups cooked spaghetti squash see above
• 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
• 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
• salt to taste
• 2 Tablespoons Pecorino Romano for garnish

Instructions

For the Spaghetti Squash

• Preheat oven to 400° F.
• Cut squash in half and remove seeds. Coat cut side of each half with olive oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper. Place halves cut side down on a baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork pierces skin easily.
• Using two forks, scrape squash to loosen strands. Remove squash to a bowl and reserve.

For the Parmesan Crisp Bowls

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Make 2 6"-7" diameter circles with the parmesan cheese. Bake for 5-7 minutes until lightly golden.
• Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 minute. Using a spatula, lift cheese circles and place over inverted bowls. Allow to cool.

For Cacio e Pepe

• Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Add pepper and toast for 1 minute. Add in cooked spaghetti squash and stir to coat with butter. Reduce heat to low and add Pecorino Romano cheese and stir well. Swirl in a little cream and mix well. Season with salt to taste.
• Transfer to parmesan crisp bowls. Garnish with a sprinkle of Pecorino Romano.

The post Cacio e Pepe Served Two Ways appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

With the way I love meatballs, this food holiday is deserving of a celebration.

A Meatball Palooza if you will.

I have so many meatball recipes to share (and several I’ve yet to create) that we’ll need days to properly honor those perfectly packaged bundles of love.

I shall call this celebration March Meatball Madness and share a meatball recipe every day for the remainder of the month.

We shall begin with Chicken Marsala Meatballs.

Let me just put it to you straight.

If you love Classic Chicken Marsala you’re going to love those flavors rolled into tender savory meatballs.

I mean luuuuv them!!

In order to keep the meatballs soft and tender, I combine all the ingredients except the chicken first, then gently fold that mixture into the ground chicken.

Overworking the meatballs can make them tough.

Baking ground chicken meatballs is my preferred method. When the mixture is quite soft and these meatballs are large (2″ diameter) they do better in the oven. I baked them at 400 degree F. for 15 minutes to firm them up a bit before pan browning them in butter and sage.

Earlier today when I passed a Chicken Marsala Meatball over the fence to Ms. Pat {share the love}, she gave me a lovely complement on my mushrooms.

She said, “I don’t know how you do it but your mushrooms are always incredible.”

The truth is I work a little harder for just that reason.

If you take the time to pan brown your mushrooms in a single layer (remember Julia Child’s advice “never crowd the mushrooms”) they will caramelize and take on the most incredible texture.

No mushy mushrooms here.

You will brown the mushrooms on both sides then remove them from the pan. You’ll add them back near the end of preparation.

I apply this method to most every recipe that incorporates mushrooms.

For the Marsala Pan Sauce, I add butter, shallot, and garlic to the pan and sauté until the shallot is soft.

The Marsala wine is added, then allowed to cook down until reduced by at least half.

Marsala wine comes in a variety of finishes. They range from sweet to dry and are not created equally.

During a trip to Sicily we were able to visit the wonderful coastal town of Marsala and sample several varieties, ranging from very sweet to a wonderful dry marsala that’s perfect for making Chicken Marsala.

Below are a few pictures from our visit to Marsala.

Once the Marsala is incorporated, good rich chicken stock is added with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Once that comes to a simmer I dust it with a little arrowroot (for gluten free version) or flour to thicken it just a bit.

Then the mushrooms are returned to the pan along with a little cream and the browned meatballs.

Let the meatballs gently simmer in the sauce for 5 minutes or so before serving.

I chose to serve these meatballs over spaghetti but they would be fabulous over egg noodles or cauliflower rice.

Every tender bite is bursting with hints of marsala and buttery sage. I am so in love with these Chicken Marsala Meatballs. I can’t wait for you to try them and let me know what you think!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook!

All my best, Libby

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Chicken Marsala Meatballs

Every tender bite is bursting with hints of marsala and buttery sage.

Course Entree or Appetizer

Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Libby with Lemony Thyme

Ingredients

For the Meatballs

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs (or GF Panko)
• 1/3 cup pecorino romano cheese grated
• 1 large egg
• 2 Tablespoons cream
• 2 Tablespoons fresh parsley fine chopped
• 1 Tablespoon dry Marsala wine
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic & herb seasoning recipe on blog

For the Marsala Pan Sauce

• 4 Tablespoons butter divided
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 16 ounces fresh button mushrooms sliced
• 1 bunch of fresh sage 8-10 leaves
• 1 shallot fine diced, about 1/4 cup
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 3/4 cup marsala wine
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 Tablespoons flour or arrowroot (for gluten free)
• 2 Tablespoons cream
• salt & pepper to taste

For Serving

• 1 pound spaghetti prepared al dente
• fresh parsley for garnish

Instructions

For the Meatballs

• Preheat the oven to 400° F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl combine breadcrumbs, Romano cheese, egg, cream, parsley, marsala wine, salt, pepper, garlic & herb seasoning. Fold mixture into ground chicken until just combined. Form into 12 meatballs, about 2 inches in diameter, place onto parchment lined baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes.

For the Marsala Pan Sauce

• While meatballs are baking, pan brown mushrooms in batches using large skillet over medium-high heat with 1 Tbl. butter & 1 Tbl. olive oil, adding additional butter/olive oil with each batch. Once deep golden brown, remove mushrooms from pan and reserve. In same skillet over medium heat, melt 2 Tbl. butter with fresh sage leaves. Allow to cook for 3-4 minutes until fragrant. Remove sage leaves and reserve as edible garnish.
• Remove meatballs from oven and add to skillet with sage butter; cook until nicely browned on all sides. Remove from pan and reserve.
• Add shallot and garlic to pan and saute over medium heat for 3-4 minutes until shallot is tender. Return the mushrooms to pan, add marsala wine and simmer until reduced by at least half. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil then dust with flour/arrowroot whisking until slightly thickened. Stir in the cream, then return meatballs to sauce to heat through.

For Serving

• Cook spaghetti al dente and divide into four bowls. Top each bowl with 3 meatballs, a generous serving of pan sauce and a sprinkle of fresh parsley.

The post Chicken Marsala Meatballs for National Meatball Day! appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

My husband’s ancestors also have roots in Catania! Lucky for me it’s where we visited on a dream vacation a few years back.

Catania, Sicily

One day I’ll share more about our trip to Italy, one of the most marvelous adventures I’ve had the privilege to experience!

Nick’s grandfather immigrated from Sicily to Boston in the 1930s. We researched and discovered that the Zappalà family name is still prevalent in the Catania region of Sicily. We were fortunate to be invited to tour the Zappalà cheese factory outside of Catania and sample their outstanding products :) <3

Pasta alla Norma

Eggplant is the star ingredient in Pasta alla Norma, which can be pan fried or oven roasted – which is what I prefer. The oven method was much easier than pan frying and yielded a nice golden brown batch of eggplant.

For the sauce I make a simple Pasta Sauce that begins with sautéed onion and garlic. Then I give a can of San Marzano tomatoes a whirl in the blender and add those to the pan, along with dried seasonings (basil, oregano, parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes). Season with salt & pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

Recipe note: Do you dry your own herbs? Oregano is one of my favorites to dry. Check out this easy method.

The Sauce

The result is a nice rich pasta sauce that comes together in under 30 minutes but taste like it’s been on the stove all day!

To Build the Dish

To build the Pasta alla Norma, the roasted eggplant is added to the pasta sauce. Then the al dente pasta is folded in along with 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid, coating each piece in the silky sauce.

A generous sprinkling of pecorino Romano (or classically Ricotta Salata) and a handful of fresh basil finishes the dish.

Pasta alla Norma deserves its spot among the top classic Italian pasta dishes. The simplest of ingredients quickly come together to deliver a hearty vegetarian dish that even your meat lovers will savor.

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Pasta alla Norma

Pasta alla Norma deserves its spot among the top classic Italian pasta dishes. The simplest of ingredients quickly come together to deliver a hearty vegetarian dish that even your meat lovers will savor.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

For the eggplant

• 2 pounds eggplant (about 2 medium) cut into 1" cubes
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

For the sauce

• 2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 small onion finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes blended
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

To serve

• 1 pound pasta (like rigatoni, penne or rotini) cooked al dente
• 1/4 cup pasta cooking water
• fresh basil leaves
• pecorino Romano (classically Ricotta Salata) grated

Instructions

For the eggplant

• Preheat oven to 450° F. Cut eggplant into 1" cubes. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper and spread in a single layer on parchment lined baking sheet. Roast in oven for 15 minutes, then flip and roast another 10 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the sauce

• While eggplant is roasting, heat olive oil In a large skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, add garlic and saute another minute. Pour in blended tomatoes, dried herbs, salt and pepper. Simmer for 15 minutes. Fold in roasted eggplant.

To serve

• While sauce is cooking, boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup pasta cooking water. Add pasta and 1/4 cup cooking liquid to pasta sauce. Toss pasta well to coat.
• Divide eggplant pasta into bowls. Sprinkle with fresh basil and grated pecorino Romano cheese. Buon appetito!

The post Pasta alla Norma {Eggplant Pasta} appeared first on Lemony Thyme.

For as much cooking as I/we do there remains an incredible gap in my culinary knowledge.

I am drawn to classic recipes like this one. It’s the history that surrounds them that draws me in. Which inevitably leads to recipe inspiration.

Like many of the classic Italian dishes, the origin and precise ingredients of Bucatini all’Amatriciana are often debated.

Amatriciana was thought to be created by shepherds or even peasants. They would have used ingredients on hand or readily available.

Onion is one of the debated ingredients. Would white wine have been included as Bucatini all’Amatriciana? Wouldn’t wine have been considered a luxury!

The ingredients pictured above are for my interpretation of Amatriciana sauce, there is much debate regarding the authentic version.

If you love the history of food as I do you will enjoy this article: The Origins of Rome’s Pasta Classics.

The Ingredients

There are two key elements in Bucatini all’Amatriciana, actually three if you count the bucatini pasta. None of which are complicated.

First is the guanciale, which is salt-cured pork cheek. I found guanciale difficult to source. Even from an International Market. However if you have an Italian deli nearby you may have better luck. You can substitute a good quality pancetta if needed.

The second key ingredient are the canned San Marzano tomatoes. San Marzano are whole plum tomatoes with very few seeds. They have a rich tomato taste. They’re slightly sweet and less acidic. Making them renowned for their balanced flavor.

Simply crush the tomatoes by hand to break them down to bite-sized or smaller pieces.

The Method

• Cook the guanciale until it’s golden brown and crispy
• Remove from the pan and add in the diced onion, garlic and red pepper flakes, sauté until translucent
• Return the crispy guanciale to the pan, reserving about 1/3 of the pork pieces to sprinkle on top of the pasta when serving
• Add the crushed tomatoes.

To Serve

• Pull the bucatini out of the pasta water a couple of minutes before it’s done. Very al dente.
• Transfer to the sauce to finish cooking
• Toss the pasta in the sauce along with 1/4 cup of the pasta cooking liquid to coat each piece. This step alone is what gives this dish deep unctuous flavors throughout every bite.

• Sprinkle grated Pecorino Romano cheese into the pasta and stir quickly to incorporate
• Bucatini all’Amatriciana is a beautiful dish to serve family style
• Garnish with fresh basil, remaining crispy guanciale and a handful of grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Buon Appetito!

Don’t forget to follow us @LemonyThyme on Instagram and Facebook! And check out our latest TikTok videos and Pinterest boards too!

All my best,
xo Libby

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Bucatini all’Amatriciana

The ingredients are not complicated but there are two key elements in Bucatini all'Amatriciana – guanciale and San Marzano tomatoes, actually three if you count the bucatini pasta.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 4 ounces guanciale or pancetta cut into 1/4" strips
• 1 28 ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes hand crush
• 1 small sweet onion fine diced
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup grated Pecornio Romano cheese plus more for garnish
• fresh basil leaves to garnish
• 1 pound bucatini pasta
• 1 teaspoon salt for pasta water

Instructions

• Bring large pot of salted water to boil.
• In large skillet, saute guanciale until browned and crispy. Remove from pan and reserve. Add diced onion to pan and saute for 3-5 minutes until translucent. Add in garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1 minute. Add hand crushed tomatoes and about 2/3 of the crispy guaciale; simmer for 10 mimnutes.
• Meanwhile, cook bucatini until very al dente, about 2-3 minutes less than recommended cooking time. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta cooking liquid. Add cooked pasta to sauce along with reserved water. Toss to coat bucatini well. Sprinkle with pecorino romano cheese and stir quickly to incorporate.
• Transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle with fresh basil, remaining crispy guanciale and a handful of pecorino romano.

The post Bucatini all’Amatriciana appeared first on Lemony Thyme.