Flava in ya ear

I love Italian delis, I like to stroll the aisles and come up with all kinds of new pasta recipes. I go to just about every Italian deli in town, but recently I happened upon Deluca's at the Americana in Glendale. It's small but packed with amazing foods.

They have a nice selection of hot food, sauces bubbling on the stove, perfect for a nice afternoon lunch. In the cases there is an array of cheeses, meats and salads. They also have a tiny but good selection of dried pastas.

While I was there I picked up a cold orechiette salad from the deli case. The first time I had orechiette was years ago when I was living in Italy, way back then, shaped pastas weren't as popular as they are now. Orechiette (aka small ears) are little disks perfect for grabbing the right amount of sauce.

I immediately bought a bag and was inspired to make dinner. Warm, lemon-y pasta with bacon and mushrooms. THAT'S amore.

Lemon-y Orechiette with Bacon and Mushrooms recipe, here.