Penne alla Vodka...

Penne alla Vodka

You will need:

cutting board

2 saucepan

chefs knife

Ingredients:

°1 (28ox) can whole tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved

°2 tbs olive oil

°1/2 small onion minced (about 1/4 C)

°1 tbs tomato paste

°2 medium garlic cloves minced

°1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

°1/3 C vodka

°1/2 C heavy cream

°1 lb penne pasta

°2 tbs finely chopped fresh basil

°grated parmesan for serving

Method:

1. Puree half of the tomatoes in food processor until smooth. Dice remaining tomatoes into 1/2 inch pieces, discarding cores. Combine pureed tomatoes and diced tomatoes in liquid measuring cup add reserved liquid to equal 2 cups.

2. Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until simmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden around the edges, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

3. Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 tsp salt. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer briskly until alcohol flavor is cooked off, 8 to 10 minutes; stir frequently and lower heat to medium if simmering becomes to vigorous. Stir in cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

4. Add pasta sauce to penne pasta that has been cooked to al dente. Stir in basil and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, top with fresh parmesan.

Recipe originally found from Life and Kitchen.

Spaghetti with Smoked Salmon...

Spaghetti with Smoked Salmon

You will need:

medium bowl

large saucepan

small saucepan

wood spoon

knife

Ingredients:

°6 ounces smoked salmon slices or ends, fresh or frozen

°1 1/4 cups light cream

°pinch of ground mace or grated nutmeg

°12 ounces fresh or dried spaghetti

°salt and ground black pepper

°3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives, to garnish

Method:

1. Cut the salmon into thin strips, each about 2 inches long. Place the strips in a bowl and add the cream and the mace or nutmeg. Stir to combine, cover and let stand for at least 2 hours in a cool place.

2. Cook the pasta in a large saucepan with plenty of boiling salted water according to the instructions on the package, or until it is just al dente.

3. Meanwhile, gently warm the cream and salmon mixture in a small saucepan, without boiling.

4. Drain pasta, pour the sauce over and mix well. Season to taste and garnish with the chives.

Serves 4-5

I paired it with a Caprese Salad and toasted bread with a drizzle of olive oil.

TIP: I read somewhere that if you place your wooden spoon over the boiling water 

saucepan, it doesn't spill all over. Odd, but it worked.

***

I got the recipe from "Pasta" by Barnes and Noble Books (1999)

(original recipe is made with Tagliatelle)

Not a lot of ingredients, easy to make and I felt like a chef making it ;)

Enjoy!

PS Happy Birthday to 2 of my close friends and my wonderful and amazing beau!

Love them dearly.

Spaghetti with Creamy Pesto Sauce and Prosciutto...

I was looking to make an easy but tasteful pasta and I came up with this...

"Spaghetti with Creamy Pesto Sauce and Prosciutto"

You will need

large frying pan

large saucepan

Ingredients

° 1/2 lb cream cheese

° 6 prosciutto slices

° pesto sauce

° 9 ounces fresh or dried spaghetti

° salt

Method

1. Cook the pasta following the instructions on the package, until al dente.
2. Meanwhile heat the pesto sauce in a large frying pan.
3. Add the cream cheese to the pesto sauce and stir until mixed.
4. Then cut 4 slices of prosciutto in tiny bits and mix in the creamy pesto sauce. Add salt to taste.
5. Drain the pasta thoroughly and toss it together with sauce. Serve garnished with the remaining prosciutto.

*Serves 4

Enjoy!

-Cass

Spaghetti With Bacon and (Spicy) Tomato Sauce

I love to eat pastas and I love to cook them. Here is one of my fave recipes to cook and that my family loves me for cooking it for them. I got it from this book we’ve had at the house for years, “Pasta” by Barnes & Noble (from 1999!). I discovered it and started to go through it and found some pretty delicious recipes, like this one.

Spaghetti With Bacon and

(Spicy) Tomato Sauce:

You will need

large frying pan

large saucepan

cutting board

chef’s knife

kitchen scissors

wooden spoon

Ingredients

·      1 tablespoon olive oil

·      8 ounces lean bacon, rinded and coarsely chopped (I cheat and use the kitchen scissors, instead of knife)

·      9 ounces fresh or dried spaghetti

·      1 teaspoon chili powder (Cayenne)

·      1 quantity Classic Tomato Sauce

·      salt and ground black pepper

·      coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley, to garnish

·      garlic salt (*my twist)

·      1 garlic clove (*my twist)

Method

1. Heat the oil in large frying pan and fry the bacon for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until crisp and golden.

2. Cook the pasta following the instructions on the package, until al dente.

3. Add the chili powder to the bacon and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Drain the pasta thoroughly and toss it together with the sauce. Serve garnished with the coarsely chopped fresh parsley.

*Serves 4

with sauce on top or tossed.

Enjoy!