Anna Sultana’s Spaghetti alla Carbonara, Sausage or Meatball Soup with Tortellini, Baked Broccoli and Tortellini / A Christmas Bargain by Margaret Ullrich

I won’t lie to you.
Any and all shopping this holiday season is going to be a challenge.
The supply chain has gotten all tangled up, meaning staples we’re used to finding aren’t in their usual places, while something that must have been gathering dust in some warehouse since the last century is suddenly in a store.
And, thanks to higher transportation costs, the prices - even for that piece of junk from the 1990s - are unbelievable.

Okay… if you remember the inflation we had during the late 70s and early 80s you’ve been through something like this before.
We got through a messed up economy then and we can do it again.

Break it down into manageable pieces.
We do have to eat.
Regular meals are always good.
Food prices have gone up, so we have to do a bit of work.
We’ve done it before and we can do it again.

Here are four of Ma’s budget savers.
These recipes were old standards a hundred years ago and will do their magic now.
Ma used to make her own tortellini and ravioli.
Yes, well that was then, this is now.
Tortellini and ravioli can be found in most supermarkets, usually in the deli section.


Oh, if you’re curious about a recipe mentioned in the story, just copy it and paste it in the ‘Looking for a recipe?’ space, click ‘Search’ and enjoy!


Hints:

About the Spaghetti alla Carbonara…
You can use any type of pasta you have in the house.
Carbonara comes from the Italian word for coal, carbone, because it was a dish eaten by coal miners and sellers. 



About the Sausage Soup with Tortellini…
Packaged sausage meat can be found in the store.
If you have sausages on hand, remove the meat from the casings.
The leftover soup freezes very well.

About the Meatball Soup with Tortellini…
You can use homemade meatballs made from
1 pound ground beef or pork or a mixture of the two
1 large egg
1 Tablespoon dried parsley
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
1 Tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Or you could buy frozen meatballs.

Baked the Broccoli and Tortellini…
You can stir 1/3 Cup cooked chopped bacon or ground meat or poultry into the pasta mixture before spooning it into the prepared casserole dish.



                        Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Serves 4

Have on hand
1/4 pound grated Romano cheese

In a large pot place
4 quarts water
salt to taste
Bring to a boil.
Add
1 pound spaghetti or other pasta
Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.
Drain the pasta and set aside.

WHILE THE PASTA IS COOKING:
Place in a small bowl
3 large eggs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Beat well and set aside.

Cut in small pieces
1/4 pound bacon or pancetta

Place in a dutch oven
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Fry the bacon pieces over medium heat, about 4 minutes.
Turn down the heat to very low.
Add the drained spaghetti and the beaten eggs.
Toss the pasta very quickly and thoroughly.
Add 1/8 pound Romano cheese and toss again.
Garnish with fresh pepper and 1/8 pound Romano cheese.


                        Sausage Soup with Tortellini

Finely chop
1 medium onion
3 cloves of garlic

Place in a dutch oven
1 pound sausage meat
the chopped onion
Sauté the sausage and onion over medium high heat until the sausage is no longer pink.
Add the chopped garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
Reduce heat to medium and add
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
Cook 1 to 2 minutes and add
1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
4 Cups beef broth
Simmer over medium heat 10 minutes.
Add
2 3/4 Cups cheese tortellini
Reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Add
1/4 Cup half and half cream or evaporated milk
Stir until combined.
Season the soup with salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.


                        Meatball Soup with Tortellini

Finely chop
1 medium onion
1 small zucchini
2 carrots
2 stalks celery

Place in a dutch oven
6 Cups water or beef broth
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon tomato paste
the chopped vegetables
Simmer over medium heat 20 minutes.
Add
1 pound meatballs
Simmer over medium heat 45 minutes.
Add
2 3/4 Cups tortellini, meat or cheese
Add more liquid if you want a thinner soup.
Simmer over medium heat 15 minutes.
Serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.


                        Baked Broccoli and Tortellini

Grease a 2 quart casserole dish that has a cover (or cover with foil)

Place in a medium pot
1/4  Cup margarine
Melt over medium heat.
Blend in
1/4 Cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Stir in
2 Cups milk
Cook and stir over low heat until thickened.
Stir in
1/2 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Remove from heat and set aside.

In a large pot place
4 quarts water
salt to taste
Bring to a boil.
Add
2 3/4 Cups cheese tortellini
Cook, stirring frequently, 5 minutes.
Add
3 Cups broccoli florets
Cook another 5 minutes.

Preheat oven 350º F

Drain the pasta and broccoli and place in the prepared casserole dish.
Add the sauce and mix lightly.
Top with
1/4 Cup grated Parmesan cheese
Cover and bake 20 - 25 minutes.
Remove dish from oven and heat broiler.
Broil uncovered casserole 4 inches from heat 3 to 5 minutes, until cheese is lightly browned.

                                                       ~~~
Back in November, 2002, I wrote an essay for the CKUW radio show ‘2000 & Counting' about getting Christmas gifts.  
It was a meant as a light piece, filled with hints.
Many of our listeners were seniors or college students, folks known for having to stretch their dollars.
Now, in addition to Covid-19 and its variants making us nervous about going to crowded places, we’re facing problems in the supply chain.
Christmas shopping never gets any easier.  Darn!!


Okay… listen up! There are five weeks left until Christmas. That means gifts. I know, I know, it's more blessed to give than to receive. But, unless you have ways of shopping that you'd like to keep secret, giving gifts means money.  

It's a little late to start a Christmas gift account at your bank and the utility companies really lose that Ho Ho Ho spirit if you try to skip paying their bills. 
 
If the charge cards are already maxed out - or you just want to keep your nearest and dearest on a cash and carry basis - gift getting is going to take a little effort.  

Desperate times call for desperate measures. As we're all stuck with holidays - oh, lucky us - I'll tell you some of my desperate measures.

Live off your hump. You know what I mean. Things like the 18 cans of tuna you have left from the time you bought 20 cans so you could get 50 bonus airmiles. Now's the time to crack those babies open. I know the family hates tuna. That's why there are 18 little cans of fishies swimming around your pantry.
Well, the family would hate a Giftless Christmas even more.
Think about it. Lousy dinners happen to everybody. But the family Grinch who comes up giftless at Christmas gets blabbed about throughout the neighbourhood and the generations.
You don't want to be remembered by your great-great-grandchildren as Granny Grinchie.

Try creative cooking. Pretend you're on the TV show Iron Chef. You've just been given a tube of ground beef, a bag of marshmallows, a jar of salsa, a bottle of raspberry vinegar, a carton of frozen spinach, a jar of maraschino cherries and a box of rice-a-roni. Think only a nut throws odd things together? How do you think raspberry vinegar was invented?
If the family gets snarky, tell them you found the recipe in a magazine. Drop names. Martha is always good, and if they can't appreciate all the effort you put into making dinner interesting… Well!
You know the speech.
Remember, guilt, when the other person has it, is a good thing.

Go ethnic. Granny's recipes don't have to be saved for Folklorama. God bless family. Go to an Italian restaurant and get a load of the prices they charge for a plate of Pasta Fagioli. That's two cheapies: noodles and beans! Grandma would die laughing if she saw those prices. Starch and beans got millions of people through tough times. Go thou and eat likewise.
  
Beans aren't good enough? Go past the recognizable cuts and shop the mystery meats. Put enough spices on them and the family won't know what hit them. I once made spaghetti and meatballs using animal organs only a mother could love. Guess what? Hubby had invited a friend. Well, the buddy was getting a free meal, so I followed the Cook’s Golden Rule: Don't apologize and don't explain.
The buddy said it was delicious, like the meatballs they serve at the Bay.
Hmmm… I notice the Bay is still in business. There's more than one way to skin a cat.   
  
Shop your house. No kidding. Grab a bag and stroll through your house. Look for things somebody foisted… uh… gave to you. Well, why should you be stuck with it until you're six feet under? Unless it was made by your preschooler - don't even think it, they DO remember - you're free to pass it on to someone else.
Just don't give it to the person who gave it to you.
   
Pack your own. Ever notice the little overpriced goodies the stores stuff into baskets and bowls? One current gift item is a box of pasta, a tin of sauce, some cheese and some wooden spoons nestled within a large bowl.
Are you too stupid to do the same thing? I didn’t think so. It's one way to get rid of some of those extra airmiles purchases. Let somebody else eat the tuna.


Still thinking about the folks in the flyers looking wildly happy over a toaster? 
Toss the flyers. Those models were paid big bucks. Stores want you to buy. A stress-free family holiday is not their goal. If they had their way you'd replace everything and pay 50% interest.
     
Remember how the best presents were things that showed that someone cared? Maybe somebody hunted down an out-of-print book by your favourite author. 
The gadgets that looked amazing seem strange on December 26.  
     

While you're shopping, get yourself some treats. 
I have a friend who picks up a bag of  pfeffernusse cookies every year. When she feels like all she's doing is giving, giving, giving, she pops a pfeffernusse into her mouth and gives herself an old time Christmas. It doesn't take much.   

God bless us, everyone.