This is the premiere post from my first-ever guest blogger, acclaimed restaurateur and entertaining expert Donatella Arpaia. Donatella owns some of New York's most popular restaurants, including Mia Dona, Anthos and Kefi. You may also have seen her as a judge on Food Network's Iron Chef America and The Next Iron Chef; or perhaps you caught her as a guest judge on season five of Top Chef. I'm thrilled to have her posting on Food Rush every month -- look out for her entries on Mondays.

Hi all, and welcome to my blog! I'm thrilled to be joining the iVillage team and look forward to giving my readers a voyeuristic view into my everyday life. As a busy New Yorker - and expanding - restaurateur, I have the pleasure of facing different challenges every day. Running four restaurants and building a lifestyle brand is thrilling and challenging at the same time, and I look forward to sharing my tips with you on making the most out of every moment. I love what I do and am blessed to be so busy (our newest "baby" opens in a few days in the Miami Viceroy hotel), but -- just like any woman --I still strive to make time for my friends, my family, and myself.

My daily work presents many challenges. I need to deal with different (and sometimes difficult) personalities every day. And as if opening a restaurant weren't stressful enough, this will be my first time opening one outside of Manhattan. But they say if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, and I'm confident that Miami will become like a second home to me -- I can't wait to take you all along on the ride with me. Stay tuned to hear more about the opening!

-- Donatella

P.S. Here's a little-known fact: A restaurateur's kitchen is often not well stocked, because we usually eat in our restaurants. Last Sunday, a few girlfriends stopped by for an impromptu meal. This is my go-to pasta dish, easy and always good!!!

Bucatini alla Amatriciana

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 pound pancetta, cut in cubes
• Dried pepperoncini, roughly chopped (more if you like more heat)
• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced then chopped
• 1 can imported San Marzano tomatoes or jar of pasta sauce
• 1 lb bucatini pasta
• 1 cup grated Pecorino Romano

Method: In a very large, deep frying pan, heat olive oil over medium and throw in pancetta and pepperoncini. Saute for a few minutes to render some fat and then raise the heat so the pancetta browns slightly. Lower back to medium heat, add onion and saute until translucent and soft. If you happen to be drinking red or white wine, add a glass into the pan (optional). Add a can or jar of tomato sauce and a generous amount of salt and some pepper. Keep at a low simmer for about 20 minutes.

In the meantime, add bucatini in a large pot of salted boiling water. Cook until al dente and, instead of using your colander, grab a spider (large slotted spoon) and put pasta directly from the pot into the frying pan. Take a generous handful of grated cheese and toss in; raise the heat in the pan and toss pasta and sauce together on high heat for about a minute. Serve and enjoy!