Strawberry Caprese Pasta

Happy Memorial Day Weekend! I hope that you all had a great weekend! I went to the California Delta with the boyfriend and his fam. Post to come later. What did you all do?

For the previous four memorial day weekends, I have gone to the Arroyo Grande Strawberry Weekend. It is a fun-filled weekend of food, sun, vendors, and of course strawberries. One year my friends and I decided to throw a strawberry festival after-party. We had strawberry shortcake, chocolate dipped strawberries, and of course strawberry margaritas.

Orzo with Roasted Vegetables

Pasta salad is my go-to potluck dish. I make it light, fresh, and colorful, so it is always a crowd pleaser.  I was getting a little tired of my old recipe and found this one.

Chop up the veggies, toss with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.

Spaghetti Carbonara

This was a Sunday favorite at Santa Chiara (where I studied abroad) and soon became a favorite in mine and Ryan’s kitchen. It is a simple dish with just pancetta, eggs, fresh cheese, and a ton of cracked black pepper. Don’t get crazy with adding peas and cream, it is just perfect the way it is.

This recipe is from Marcella Hazan’s Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, my go-to Italian cookbook. The recipes bring me back to my time abroad when I ate pasta everyday!

I love how she keeps the carbonara simple and adds a touch of white wine for a depth of flavor.

I also love to eat the leftovers for breakfast. I mean, it is bacon and eggs, right?