Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Under 30 minutes
MAKES 8 SMALL PANCAKES
Breakfast for dinner always feels like a sneaky treat, and I keep a box of gluten-free pancake mix in the cupboard so I’m ready whenever the mood strikes. Eat these lemony raspberry pancakes on their own or scramble some eggs and fry up some bacon for the full diner experience—your kids (or boyfriend/wife/roommate) won’t believe their luck.
1½ cups gluten-free pancake mix (we like Bob’s Red Mill brand)
1 large egg
¾ cup milk (cow’s, soy, almond, rice—anything you like)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup fresh raspberries
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, for frying the pancakes
Maple syrup, for serving
Combine the pancake mix, egg, milk, oil, raspberries, and lemon zest and mix gently, making sure not to completely crush the raspberries. In a large sauté pan, melt a bit of butter over medium heat. Use half the batter to make 4 pancakes (about ¼ cup each) and cook for 2 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and repeat with more butter and the remaining batter. Serve with maple syrup.
Under 30 minutes
SERVES 4
Carbonara is the perfect lazy dinner—it’s cozy, comforting, and shockingly easy to make. Not to mention the fact that everyone almost always has the ingredients on hand. Keep some cubed bacon or pancetta in the freezer so you can make this anytime, in just minutes.
Salt
4 ounces pancetta or bacon, cut into small dice
2 egg yolks (or 3, to make it extra creamy)
1 large egg
1½ cups finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
¾ pound bucatini
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat for the pasta.
In an 8-inch sauté pan, cook the pancetta over medium heat until crispy, 5 to 7 minutes.
Combine the egg yolks, egg, Parmesan, and pepper in a large bowl.
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta cooking water (the temperature is important because you are going to use it to cook the egg) and set aside. Next, drain the pasta, and add it to the bowl with the cheese and eggs, tossing immediately to mix everything together.
Add the pancetta and any rendered fat from the pan to the bowl, toss to coat, and add the pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency (this usually takes about ¼ cup).
Adjust with extra cheese, pepper, and salt to taste.