There’s nothing like being stuck in a plane, waiting on the runway at JFK airport for 4 hours. There’s also nothing like landing at Sea-Tac airport at 3:30am on a Monday, 5 hours after you originally planned…knowing that you have to be in the office in 5 hours. Let’s just say that when it came to making dinner on Monday night, I wanted to make something *really* easy and delicious.

Why not just order food and take the night off from the kitchen? As much as I love to cook, I recognize the value of delivery pizza and take out Chinese food. But, I had just spent 8 days in New York, and that meant eating out for every meal. There comes a time when all you are craving is something homemade…even if that means being half asleep while cooking.

I avoided anything too ambitious, and decided that pasta was a safe start. I came across a recipe on Everyday Food that had a delicious combination of sugar snap peas, petite peas, ricotta, and tarragon (one of my favorite herbs). I was eager to use ricotta cheese in a dish other than lasagna; perhaps it’s underused these days? This recipe seemed simple enough to make, even in my zombie-like state of mind. I modified the recipe by adding pancetta and garlic to give some more depth in flavor and lemon zest to lighten up the ricotta sauce. Also, I topped off the dish with some parmigiano-reggiano cheese to give it a nice salty finish.
Pasta with Peas, Ricotta & Pancetta
Serves 4

1/4 pound pancetta, cut into bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces gemelli, campanelle,or other short pasta
12 ounces sugar snap peas, stem ends removed
10 ounces frozen petite peas
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/3 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Zest of 2 lemons
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large skillet at medium heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add pancetta and cook until crispy and golden. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and add minced garlic. Let garlic cook for a few minutes, watching closely to avoid burning. Remove skillet from heat and set aside.

2. Fill a large pot with water. Add 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Bring water to a boil, and add pasta. Cook until pasta is close to al dente, but not quite done.

3. To the boiling water, add snap peas and cook for no more than 2 minutes. Add petite peas and cook for an additional minute. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water; set aside. Drain pasta peas.

4. Add pasta and peas to the large skillet with the pancetta and garlic. Add butter, tarragon, lemon zest, and ricotta. If the sauce is too thick due to the ricotta, add the reserved pasta water until you have a thin sauce that lightly coats the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Garnish with chopped tarragon, lemon zest, and parmagiano-reggiano cheese. Serve immediately.

After living in Paris for a short time, one of the most common questions I get asked is, “So, how was the food?”  This is often asked rhetorically, as it is a well known fact that the French know how to eat very well.  Indeed, my meals in France were delicious – rich, hearty, and thoughtfully prepared.  And the truth is, while I miss the flavorful beef bourguignon, the slow-cooked cassoulets, or even the streetside crepes, what I consistently long for and crave, is le Croque Monsieur sandwich.

Yes, I’ve heard it before: “It’s just a fancy grilled ham and cheese sandwich, right?” Well, not quite. What makes this sandwich so special is the béchamel sauce, which consists of a flour-butter roux, hot milk, nutmeg, and cheese.  The sauce is poured over the toasted sandwich, then topped with grated Gruyere cheese.  Then the magic happens - the sandwich bakes for 5 minutes, during which the sauce soaks into the top layer of bread, creating an undescribable texture that is creamy and satisfying.

I used Ina Garten’s recipe as my guide for the béchamel sauce and cooking method.  I modified her recipe to serve 4 people (one sandwich per person). Also, her recipe suggests taking the crust off of the bread, but it’s perfectly fine to leave the crust on.  And, save your fancy bread for another dish – cheap, grocery store white bread makes a surprisingly authentic croque monsieur.

Take the recipe’s measurements lightly; the amount of cheese, ham, and mustard to use can be based on your preference.  However, it’s best to stick to the recipe for the béchamel sauce. If you find that the sauce isn’t thick enough after stirring in the hot milk for a few minutes, a little more flour can always be added.  To avoid clumping, make sure to mix the flour into some melted butter, then add and stir into your sauce.  Remember that the sauce will thicken once it’s removed from the heat.

To go along with my French café theme, I served my croque monsieur with cornichon (tiny gherkins) and Dijon mustard.  For my fellow Francophiles, consider enjoying this sandwich with a glass of kir or champagne. 
 
Croque Monsieur
Adapted from Ina Garten’s recipe in her book Barefoot in Paris

Makes 4 sandwiches

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch of nutmeg
3 cups Gruyere cheese, grated
8 slices white sandwich bread
Dijon mustard
1/2 lb Black Forest ham, sliced

1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat.  Once melted, add all of the flour and immediately stir with a wooden spoon.  After 2 minutes, the butter and flour will form a paste-like consistency. 

3.  Microwave the cup of milk for about 1 -2 minutes, or until bubbly.  Add the milk to the flour and butter mixture.  Whisk until the sauce is slightly thickened.  Remove from heat and add salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/4 cup Gruyere, and all of the Parmesan. 

4.  Lay the bread slices flat on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 5 minutes on one side, then turn each slice and bake for 2 minutes.  Remove cookie sheet from oven and let cool for a few minutes.

5.  Spread mustard on half of the bread slices.  Add ham and half of the leftover Gruyere.  Add the sandwich top and pour the cheese sauce over the sandwiches.  Sprinkle the last of the Gruyere and bake for 5 minutes.  Then, broil the sandwiches for 3 minutes, or until the cheese on top turns a light golden color.  Serve hot.