So, I made a kickass dinner last night. Well, mostly kickass. After being greeted at the door with glittery daisies (v. cute), I set about preparing breaded pork cutlets and my new especial fettucine alfredo.
The pork is easy (and would have been tres parfait had I pan fried it better). You just pound out a few boneless pork chops, sprinkle with salt and pepper, dredge in flour, then egg, then in pulverized Ritz cracker crumbs. Pan fry in a bit of olive oil and butter. Drain on paper towels.
The fettucine was what absolutely kicked ass about last night's dinner. In a large skillet, slowly fry 2-3 strips of bacon, rendering as much fat as possible. When the bacon is crisp, remove from pan and drain on paper towels. Prepare 1 lb fettucine (or other long wide pasta) according to the package directions, and reserve 1/4 to 1/2 c. pasta water. Meanwhile, add 2-3 tbsp butter to the bacon fat and allow to melt over med-low heat. Finely chop 1 shallot and add to butter/fat. Cook until translucent. Add 1 1/4 c heavy cream and allow to boil with the butter/shallot mixture for about 4-5 minutes until reasonably thick. Add a pinch of nutmeg* and some black pepper. Add 3/4 c frozen peas and stir. Chop bacon and add to sauce. Add 1 c grated parmesan cheese.** When pasta is done, drain thoroughly. Add a splash of pasta water to slightly thin the sauce. Toss pasta in sauce, and serve, topped with a bit more cheese.
Then you totally slam. This stuff was amazing.
* I must note that when using nutmeg in cream sauces, Rachael Ray would feel compelled to note that this would make guests go "hmmm." Apart from pointing that out, I will refrain from such comments.
** I used a Kraft mix of asiago, parm, and romano.
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