When The Spouse is Away...

...the other spouse will throw all dinner rules out the window. At least, that's the experience in my house. For whatever reason, when my husband is on the road, our sacred mealtime routine doesn't seem so sacred anymore. While my kids get take-out or a Trader Joe's pizza from the freezer, I will get all Prousty with a mammoth bowl of buttered-and-salted Manischewitz egg noodles (the superskinny kind) that I used to regularly wolf down for an after-school snack growing up. My husband does the same thing when I'm out of town or out for the night -- his go-to maverick move is cacio e pepe (above) -- pappardelle with olive oil, parm, and lots and lots of pepper.