Happy birthday, Kristin Davis! Rumors of a third Sex And The City movie continue to swirl, with Sarah Jessica Parker and series executive producer Michael Patrick King both acknowledging “…there’s one story left. Whether it ever happens is a whole other situation.” The now 49-year-old Davis is said to be on board, but at the moment the busy mama has her hands full rehearsing for her West End debut and taking care of two-year-old adoptive daughter Gemma Rose.
A productive year lies ahead for Kristin. Beginning March 25th, Davis will star alongside Californication’s Natascha McElhone in Trevor Nunn’s stage adaptation of the cult classic Fatal Attraction. McElhone will play the role made famous by Glenn Close, Davis the tortured wife of adulterer Dan Gallagher. Then, in April, you can once again catch the Emmy-nominated actress on the small screen as Ginny in CBS’ Bad Teacher, a comedy based on the eponymous hit film.
How does Davis feel about all these career strides? “I’m really lucky to have a job, but I have a two-year-old, and I’ve really been in mommy mode,” the Sex and the City star told Haute Living. “I think, ‘I’m stuck on set and I don’t want to be stuck on set, I want to be with my daughter,’ so it’s an adjustment. Gemma takes up such a big, big part [of my life] in such a wonderful way. Like take going to work: it used to be really important to me, but now I’m like, ‘OK, I’ve got to go to work.’ All right. I used to be like, ‘I want to go to work, I want to go to work!’”
The Lucy Award winner clearly shares the passionate maternal instinct of the character that made her famous, Charlotte York Goldenblatt. Davis’ motherly impulse even spans across species. Case in point: The star received a great deal of publicity—and the Humane Society’s 2010 Wyler Award—for discovering and rescuing an abandoned baby elephant during her 2009 visit to Africa.
Despite being a world-famous actress and elephant savior, at the end of the day Davis is just like us. In her mind, “The greatest luxury is being home in the morning when my daughter wakes up and not have to go anywhere. My ultimate favorite day is not getting out of my pajamas. I have a beautiful home, a beautiful yard and a lot of food. If Gemma and I could just be there, I could probably go a long time without leaving.”
Her toddler-friendly spaghetti and meatballs recipe is perfect for dinner on one such lazy day. Give it a whirl! Not only is this pasta dish easy to execute, it’s also Mario Batali-approved. Bib sold separately.
Kristin Davis’ Spaghetti and Meatballs (recreated by celebrity chef Mario Batali)
Ingredients
Sauce:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans of peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Meatballs:
3 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 pounds ground chuck beef
3 eggs, beaten
3 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/4 cup pine nuts, baked for 3-4 minutes in a 400 degree oven
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups basic tomato sauce (recipe below or 1 jar of prepared tomato sauce)
1 pound spaghetti
1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Directions
Sauce:
1. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic, cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.
2. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft.
3. Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt to taste.
Note: Sauce holds 1 week in refrigerator or up to 6 months in freezer.
Meatballs:
1. In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in water for a minute or two. Drain the bread cubes and squeeze with your fingers to press out the excess moisture.
2. In a large bowl, combine the bread cubes, beef, eggs, garlic, Pecorino Romano, parsley, toasted pine nuts, salt and pepper and mix with your hands to incorporate. With wet hands, form 12 to 15 meatballs, each about the size of a golf ball.
3. In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 1 cup oil until smoking. Cook the meatballs in the oil until golden brown and cooked through, working batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan. Remove the meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels and keep warm.
4. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Add spaghetti and cook according to package instructions.
5. In a 10 to 12-inch sauté pan, combine tomato sauce and meatballs. Heat through.
6. Once pasta is al dente, drain in a colander and quickly toss the hot pasta into the sauté pan with meatballs. Toss gently to mix.
7. Divide equally among 4 warmed pasta bowls and sprinkle with Parmigiano cheese. Serve immediately.