Courgette and Pancetta Carbonara
It’s Friday, I’m working from home and my tummy is a rumbling. Panic sets in as I have very little in the house and I need something fast. I’m a huge fan of Italian food and love to play with the classics. I generally just add a dash of this or try a bit of that as I go and so I often can’t ever repeat the same meal twice and, while this can be a shame, sometimes it really is best for everyone. On this occasion I didn’t stray to far from what I consider the classic Carbonara but I was in need of some veg so added the courgette for texture and greenery. Feel free to replace or ignore it all together, I like to add a bit of onion or mushroom. I also didn’t have any cream so had to give it a miss, fortunately it didn’t make as big of a difference as I expected. Hope you enjoy this as much as I did, it makes a great quick and easy Sunday night dish too. (Please excuse the picture, I was in a hurry to eat!)
Courgette and Pancetta Carbonara
Ingredients (To serve 2)
Olive oil
70g Pancetta
½ a large courgette
1 Garlic clove (crushed or sliced in two)
65ml white wine
2 medium eggs
Cream (optional)
30g Parmesan
10g Butter
Fresh Cracked Pepper
Salt
Freshly grated Nutmeg
250g Spaghetti (I used whole wheat)
Beat the eggs and parmesan in a bowl, add a little cracked pepper and set aside. You can add a dash of double cream too for a more creamy taste…obviously.
Heat the olive oil over a medium heat and fry the pancetta and garlic. As the pancetta starts to brown add the courgette to fry too. Turn up to a high heat and add the wine allowing it to evaporate.
While the wine is evaporating have a pan of boiling water with salt and a dash of oil ready to cook the pasta. I know everyone has their own preference when cooking pasta so cook to your taste but I’d recommend avoiding letting it get too soggy as it will continue to cook some when you add it to the frying pan in a moment.
Remove the garlic from the pancetta and courgette, add the butter and place on a low heat. Drain your pasta and while still hot add to the frying pan and mix in the Parmesan and egg mixture, it shouldn’t become scrambled as its off the heat but the heat in the pan should cook the mixture. Grate a little fresh nutmeg in before the final mix.
Serve in two bowls, add cracked pepper and as much Parmesan as you like, lots in my case, in fact keep it handy so you can add more as you eat ☺
Make mine a gin!
At The Teatime Treatery we love food, drink and travelling around exploring so we’ve decided to share some of our adventures with you, right here, on our blog and news page. Being local to Cambridge we’ll often be found exploring the local area but we’ll also be sharing adventures from wherever the mood takes us.
Most recently our adventures took us to a new restaurant in Cambridge, The Pint Shop. We heard rumblings of their opening on Twitter and with the tagline, ‘Meat. Bread. Beer’, we were immediately intrigued. A quick visit to the website let us peek into their sample menu and gave an insight into their vision, “Pint Shop is all about creating a special place to hang out, eat, drink and chat. A place for people to share good times, be merry and have a blast”. So, how are they doing…?
My husband and I have been lucky enough to travel all over the world (maybe we’ll get to our 8 month honeymoon on here some day) and he loves trying a new beer, mostly pale ales and craft beers from independent breweries so this seemed like a winning venue. Having said that he will, of course, drink most beer you place in front of him. We popped in on Saturday for a light bite and a drink(s). It’s easy to find being located near the Corn Exchange and opposite a lovely material shop that I love to browse in.
On entering we quickly found the bar, always a good start, and, perhaps more importantly, the toilets were well sign posted. The atmosphere was relaxed and the bar staff friendly. Our friends had a table so our first job was to take in the beer menu, chalked up on the wall with details of brewery, style, region and alcohol by volume. There is plenty of choice and something for everyone, we could happily have stayed to work our way through the menu. We started with the Mariana Trench from Weird Beard and a Citra from Kernal Brewery. Needless to say they went down all too quickly and we were soon hankering for another drink and food. Unfortunately we seemed to be, either too early or too late for scotch eggs but all the bar snacks looked fab and we got a sausage roll and a beetroot and goats cheese cob. You can tell they care about ingredients since even the beetroot tasted like no ordinary beetroot. I can only imagine the rest of their food is just as good and will back to find out, just, you know…to be sure. If beer isn’t your thing, never fear, they have an incredible selection of gins too, 40 I think. We enjoyed some delicious sloe gin, refreshing and fruity, and all our gin drinks came garnished with a juniper berry.
I had a little venture around the building, which is actually an old bank, and it was surprisingly spacious. If you, like me, find the state of toilets at dining establishments to be of high priority then you will not be disappointed at Pint Shop. They were clean, stylish and I liked the old style lighting, lets hope they stay this way. The picture I missed on my way in to the toilets was unmissable on the way out, the flash of pink put a smile on my face and you’ll just have to visit to see it for yourself, ladies that is, no idea what goes on in the gents.
So, overall our visit was far too short, we had a great time and look forward to popping in to try more great food, beer and gin! Our advice, pop in for merriment and good times, and if you’re looking for a special and slightly different take on Christmas menus check theirs out and see if you can get a booking.
Fore more info visit their website Pint Shop or follow them on Twitter @PintShop
Festive Vintage Tea Party Packages 2013
For just £15.00 pp (ask us about discounts available for groups larger than 16) the Teatime Treatery’s little elves will come and deliver everything you need for a unique Christmas party in your home or office. We’ll deliver our festive cakes, loose leaf teas (including our seasonal special tea), Christmas bunting, crackers and of course our wonderful vintage china. We’ll then come and collect everything when your party is over so that you won’t even have to wash up, just as it should be at Christmas!
The Teatime Treatery Festive package includes (based on 12 people):
- Festively Decorated Apple Spiced Sponge Cake (Or Victoria Sponge/Chocolate if you prefer)
- Mince Pies
- Scones (plain, fruit or spiced) with Clotted Cream and Jam
- Festive Sandwiches
- Selection of Loose Leaf teas (including our Christmas Cheer tea)
- Vintage China Hire including a cup, saucer, cake plate, teaspoon and tea knife per person. We also provide decorative bunting and enough teapots, milk jugs, sugar bowls, clotted cream bowls, preserve spoons, sugar tongs and tea strainers for your party.
- Christmas Crackers
***Why not also add a Teatime Treatery stocking filler for £3.00 each which includes four of our loose leaf tea pyramids and a luxurious drinking fudge?***
Post box hire, Giant Cupcakes and Festive Fun
November Offers and News
We had a wonderful time in October, from our pop up tearoom at From Cambridge With Love to Halloween cupcakes its been a fun month and we’re looking forward to more of the same in November.
Post Box Hire
We’re thrilled to add a beautiful red post box to our hire items. Whether you’re getting married, throwing a special hen do, baby shower or birthday party this post box makes a great statement piece. It’s the perfect place for guests to post their cards and gift cards to you. The post box can be locked and personalised and is available to hire for just £35.00 as it is or £50.00 personalised. Enquire today!
November Offers
Giant Cupcakes are on offer at The Teatime Treatery! Get our luxury giant cupcake with chocolate shell base and personalised decorations, base and box – for just £40 (usually £50) or our simply sensational giant cupcake with buttercream base and decorations, board and box for just £35 (usually £45) both plus £2.50 delivery or free within 10 miles of Saffron Walden. Why not get a Christmas Giant Cupcake with our apple spiced sponge? These prices are valid for all orders, to be made and delivered up to 18th December 2013, subject to availability, first come first served…get those orders in now and let your friends know too, who knows they might invite you round for cake.
From Cambridge With Love
We loved meeting everyone at the From Cambridge With Love craft fair in October. There were some super talented local crafters selling fabulous gifts, food, jewellery, cards and more. Why not pop on down for some Christmas shopping on 30th November at the Guildhall in Cambridge, it promises to be even bigger and better than the last one and a great way to welcome in the festive season!
