Back-to-School Dinner (and Lunch!)

There’s nothing our 2nd grader likes more than pasta… and bacon… and a reach n’ creamy tomato sauce that she can sop up with a hunk of her daddy’s homemade focaccia.

Without realizing it, Parker has fallen in love with the Roman trattoria classic, bucatini all’amaticiana. When I lived in Rome in my 20’s, I ordered this dish about, oh, every other day from my favorite spot in Trastevere. There’s something just so right about crisped bits of pancetta (or bacon) and al dente noodles bathed in a sauce of creamy tomato and parmesan.

So, yes, our family taste buds are totally in sync. In fact, Jamie and I hover over the pasta pot long after Parker and the baby have gone to bed. And guess what everyone wants the next day for lunch? More “Bacon Bucatini” (as Parker calls it)! To make life–and school lunch-packing– a lot easier, Jamie came up with a delicious recipe that incorporates Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Almond Milk into the sauce. It’s the right choice for school lunch because the almond milk won’t spoil and it makes the sauce even creamier.

Jamie showed off his totally delicious Creamy Bacon Bucatini on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family last week and it was a huge hit. Looking for the next hit lunch for your little ones? Click on the link for his recipe and guest appearance on the show!