Kitchen Report

I have been glued to the Olympics coverage for the past two weeks and now that the Vancouver Winter Games are closed and the medals have been counted I’m feeling adrift.

To extend the Olympic spirit just a bit longer I embellished fettuccine alfredo to evoke the slopes of Whistler complete with metaphorical splashes. Think cream of the crop. (I know, bear with me. The winters are long in Boston.) I sautéed onion and mushroom with yellow (gold!) pepper and ringed the plate with (a laurel wreath!) baby spinach. Every athlete knows how important it is to eat your spinach. So slide your fork down this white-coated mound of pasta, twirl it in the air, and deliver it to your winner’s podium. Taste the gold. Give it your all. Do it for your country. You earned it. Smile.

And for desert? Hannah’s Gold, for sure.

Fettuccine Alfredo

Olympic spirit

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1/2 yellow pepper, chopped
2 slices Prosciutto ham, diced
1 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 cup baby spinach

For the sauce:
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 stick unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

1/2 lb. fettuccine noodles

Set pasta water to boil and cook as instructed. In a large skillet, heat oil olive and sautée onion, garlic, mushroom, pepper, and ham until vegetables are tender and meat is caramelized. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

In a separate skillet, melt butter and add cream. Bring to a simmer and add salt and pepper. Add cooked fettuccine to skillet, adding 1/4 cup of reserve water if necessary. Add cheese and other cooked ingredients, toss, heating through. Serve immediately and garnish with a ring of fresh baby spinach. Eat, and then sing the national anthem (your country of choice).

Serves 4 (or 2 hungry athletes).