When I ran my first marathon I skipped the traditional pre-race pasta party. Rather, my cousin and I held our own quiet carbo-loading shindig in the corner of a quaint Italian restaurant just off of Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. I was too nervous to surround myself with elite racers and other marathon veterans. Plus, I really didn’t have much of an appetite. I ended up forcing myself to eat my Penne a la Vodka while listening to my cousin wax poetic about the impending 26.2-mile run.
Fast forward to my second marathon a few years later and I was more than willing to attend the event sponsored pasta feast with thousands of other racers. Carbo-loading parties are awesome, but I prefer having them with friends and family, so when I ran my third marathon I attended a homegrown pre-marathon party hosted by relatives who were also running the race.
The bash was a blast. The kids made signs to wave at us on race day. The party favors were cow bells to be rung when we passed certain water stops and the menu was incredible.
Here’s some of what we had:
SPAGHETTI CARBONARA
Ingredients:
1 pound hot, cooked spaghetti, cooked al dente
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 eggs
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
Salt and finely ground black pepper, to taste
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Add the diced bacon to a large skillet. Cook slowly over medium-low heat for 10 to 15 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
Combine eggs, 3/4 cup cheese, cream and olive oil in a bowl and beat with a whisk until completely mixed.
Drain hot pasta, and then toss with egg and cream mixture. Add cooked bacon and parsley.
Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan cheese.
TORTELLINI SALAD
Ingredients:
4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2/3 cup olive oil
1 (20-ounce) package cheese tortellini, cooked and cooled
3 cups fresh spinach
2 cups sliced cherry tomatoes
1 (7-ounce) container boconccini cut in pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
Directions:
In a large bowl, whisk together first four ingredients.
Slowly drizzle in oil while whisking until dressing starts to thicken.
Toss in next four ingredients.
Serve right away or cover and chill until ready to serve.
Before serving, stir in basil and Parmesan cheese.
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