There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
250 g pancetta, diced into 1/2 " pieces 500 g asparagus 2 shallots, chopped 2 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp salt 225g spaghetti/pasta 1/3 cup whipping cream zest of 2 lemons juice of 2 lemons 2 tbsp italian or flat leaf parsley, chopped 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated pepper, freshly ground Slice asparagus on the diagonal into pieces that are approximately 1-1 1/2 ". Fill a large 6-quart pot 3/4 full with water .Add 2 tbsp salt and bring to boil.cook spaghetti in boiling water, stirring occasionally until al dente. Ladle out a cup of pasta water.Drain pasta in a colander.In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking. Cook pancetta, stirring until brown and edges are crisp - about 7-10 minutes. Stir in shallots and cook about 1 minute.Add the asparagus slices and cook until just tender - about 2 minutes. Pour mixture into large serving bowl, in the same skillet, simmer the cream over medium heat until slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Add the lemon juice and simmer another minute. Add the lemon zest and the parsley to the cream mixture. Add the drained spaghetti and cheese.Toss to coat. Add 1/4 cup or enough pasta cooking liquid to moisten. Add the pancetta and asparagus mixture combining well.Season to taste with pepper.Variation:substitute the asparagus with 1 cup of fresh shelled peas. The key to this recipe is to have all of the prep done beforehand –the actual cooking of the sauce takes place very quickly.