Feast Day – Be Inspired!

My friend Joanne read my blog reminder to pray the Saint Joseph Novena, and she texted me back with a traditional pasta dish her family makes to celebrate St. Joseph’s feast day. Joanne swears it’s delicious!

This is new for me (breadcrumbs and raisins in pasta), and I will definitely make it for my family.

Repost from: https://www.shelovesbiscotti.com/saint-josephs-day-spaghetti-recipe/

a close up of Saint Josephs Day Spaghetti.

St. Joseph’s Spaghetti, aka Spaghetti di San Giuseppe, is a pasta dish recipe traditionally served on March 19th and Christmas Eve. A plate of spaghetti which has been coated with a mixture of olive oil, toasted breadcrumbs, walnuts, garlic, golden raisins and parsley.

A large serving bowl of Saint Josephs Day Spaghetti Recipe

ST. JOSEPH’S SPAGHETTI

Think about this for a minute: a plate of carbs (pasta), served with more carbs (toasted breadcrumbs). The breadcrumbs in this recipe are very symbolic – they are meant to represent sawdust (since Saint Joseph was a carpenter), and cheese (since this was a poor man’s dish).

This is a classic example of cucina povera -which literally means “cooking of the poor”.

WHAT DO I NEED TO MAKE ST. JOSEPH’S SPAGHETTI?

Olive oil: Extra virgin if available.
Garlic: Feel free to use more than the stated amount.
Coarse breadcrumbs: Homemade if possible.
Walnuts: Chopped finely.
Parsley: Provides a wonderful contrast in color as well as a clean bright flavor.
Golden raisins: A wonderful burst of sweetness.
Spaghetti: The pasta of choice when making this dish. Look for spaghetti no 5.
Orange rind: Optional, but provides a citrus undertone.

Optional ingredient: Anchovies

As far as accessories are concerned, you will need a large pot to cook the pasta as well as a colander. Also required is a wooden board and a sharp knife to properly chop up the garlic, walnuts and parsley. Finally a large skillet and a wooden spoon to stir fry a few of the ingredients.

HOW TO MAKE ST. JOSEPH’S SPAGHETTI:

In a large skillet, saute the garlic in the olive oil for a few minutes. If using anchovies, add a couple of them at this point.

Add the breadcrumbs and a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and continue to saute. Add the walnuts, raisins and parsley and saute this mixture until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and toasty.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to your package label.

Add one cup of pasta water to the bread mixture if it appears dry.

Once the spaghetti is cooked, simply combine the two by layering in a large bowl.

This pasta dish can be served hot or at room temperature.

Course: Main

Cuisine: Italian

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 6 servings

Calories: 903kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

Ingredients

8 tablespoons olive oil divided
6 garlic cloves minced
2 cups unseasoned coarse breadcrumbs
2 cups finely chopped walnuts about 200 grams
4 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
3/4 cup of golden raisins plumped (about 100 grams)
1 pound spaghetti 454 grams (1 package)
salt to taste
pepper and crushed red pepper flakes to taste
Orange peel optional

Instructions

In a large skillet, over medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
Sauté the garlic until fragrant, 1-2 minutes (do not brown).
Reduce heat to medium low and add the breadcrumbs.
Add 2 more tablespoons of olive oil and combine. Stir together for about 2 minutes (breadcrumbs will get slightly toasted and should absorb the oil).
Add the chopped walnuts and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
Add raisins and parsley. Stir to combine for 1-2 minutes. Set aside. Add up to 1 cup of the cooking water (from the pasta) if the mixture appears to dry.OPTIONAL: Add orange peel and combine with the raisins and parley.
Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil.
Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.
Drain the pasta and reserve about 1 cup of the cooking water. Drizzle 2 more tablespoons of olive oil.
In a large serving dish, alternate layers of pasta and bread mixture (top with bread mixture). Note: Remove orange rind if used in the mixture.
Garnish with parsley and drizzle remaining olive oil.

God Bless and Happy Cooking 💖

How do I share the Gospels with my friends and family?

For those of us who walk with Jesus, grace overflows within us, and it is only natural we want to share and embrace those around us into our joy. Jesus changes us. Jesus has healed us. It is natural we want to let others know.

The journey to the cross has been a long and winding one for me. When I think about it, Jesus has always been with me – at times walking beside me, and at other times holding me in His embrace as I meandered here and there in secular life. There were many times, I pushed Jesus away. He was always there. When I was ready – I fell upon His feet – humbled and in awe – for finally, I was ready to submit all of me to Him.

Healing comes from the grace of God – “a stronger ME in my own existence.”

A sketch for my series *“a stronger ME in my own existence.”* May 24, 2021

Healing from Jesus is the willingness on my part to give into God’s will for me, and to be guided by the Holy Spirit. For my own journey with Jesus, this means daily meditation and contemplation into His words – The Bible and in prayer. In the beginning it was daunting to find a starting point, and there are many vehicles to guide us. I chose to follow along daily with The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) – available in many podcast online. Having the Sacraments became important to me, and I try to make it to mass at my local parish at least once or twice a week, but when I can’t receive the Holy Eucharist daily, I watch online via Divine Mercy – YouTube. Sometimes I watch the morning mass broadcast online from my local parish (Holy Name of Jesus Parish | Laval, QC, St. Ignatius of Loyola MTL | You Matter to God. You Matter to Us. (stig.ca).

Prayer is the most important part of my walk with Jesus. Each morning I take the time to praise and talk to Him. I also pray the Rosary after. This sounds like a routine, but it works for me. Praying the Rosary is an important part of getting to know Jesus. It is through contemplating the mysteries of each decade that I have come to have deeper insights into the passion of Jesus. I find when I let the Holy Spirit guide me in prayer, there is a rich understanding and depth into the life of Jesus that is heart felt.

Coming from a Protestant background that denied Mary’s holiness, finding the Holy Virgin Mary through the Rosary was an intense awakening for me. It gave me a Holy Mother who bespeaks to me the importance of being thoughtful and mindful.

I have got to say that I feel such a burst of joy within me, that it is only natural to want to share that light with others around me, especially those with whom I love, and with friends with whom I know are having challenges in their lives. It is natural I want to share with them the wonderful love and grace of Jesus. I want to shout out and let those around me know that in Jesus, there is Divine Mercy – forgive and healing.

Well, I have come to realize that sharing the Gospel means praying for them – those around us may be too invested in the secular world to want to hear about Jesus. I know I was! They may not be at a point in their life journey to think about their soul or eternity. They want to enjoy the now.

I invited many to join Alpha, and even after sharing my own story, not one of my friends or family members signed up. It took me some time to realize that they just were not ready, or too invested in “life” to want to know about Jesus. Their “no”, had me reflect upon my own journey to Jesus. I thought about my mom who never stopped praying for me.

How I can be effective is be a light through my own example – in the way I live my life – and continue to pray, love and care for those around me in my own actions, words, understanding and kindness. When others are ready or being called by Jesus, perhaps then, I will be the one used by Him to be there for them as one of the many “angels” there for them when they are at a crossroad.

Jesus, I trust in You 💖

Sharing with you an awesome homily from Fr. Chris on Feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Luke 1:39-56)

Mary Visits Elizabeth

³⁹In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, ⁴⁰where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit ⁴²and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. ⁴³And why has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴For as soon as I heard the sound of your greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy. ⁴⁵And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord.”

Mary’s Song of Praise

⁴⁶And Mary said,

“My soul magnifies the Lord,
⁴⁷    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
⁴⁸for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant.
    Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
⁴⁹for the Mighty One has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
⁵⁰His mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
⁵¹He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts.
⁵²He has brought down the powerful from their thrones,
    and lifted up the lowly;
⁵³he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and sent the rich away empty.
⁵⁴He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
⁵⁵according to the promise he made to our ancestors,
    to Abraham and to his descendants forever.”