Straw and Hay

We fell in love with this dish at Amerigo's in Nashville, TN. If you want to get the namesake look, you'll need half regular fettuccine and half spinach fettuccine, but any kind of pasta tastes delicious. This recipe is based on the one in Betty Crocker's Cookbook, but I substituted peas for mushrooms, bacon for ham, and sherry for brandy. Quantities are very approximate -- none of this really needs to be measured out.

In a large skillet, cook until almost done:

1. 6 slices bacon, cut into small pieces

Pour off some drippings to reduce fat to 1 - 2 T. Add and cook until tender, stirring occasionally:

1. 2 T chopped fresh parsley
2. 1/4 c chopped red onion
3. 1/2 c frozen green peas

Stir in and cook until evaporated:

1. 1/4 c sherry or marsala wine

Stir in and cook until thickened:

1. 1 c whipping cream
2. 1/4 c grated Parmesean cheese
   
3. salt and pepper to taste

Serve over a 50:50 mix of plain and spinach (green) fettuccine, cooked according to package directions. I've also had great luck making zucchini noodles by running a vegetable peeler down a zucchini (throw out the seed-filled middle); toss these with the sauce for a minute or two to soften up and then serve with a normal white pasta like angel hair. In theory this serves 4, but Katy and I can polish it off no problem.