Penne alla Vodka

Tags

basil, Italian, pasta, tomato, vodka

Vodka with dinner? Yes please! Hehe. Add in pasta and it makes it that much better! 🙂 I’ve always eyed the jars of vodka sauce in the grocery store, curious about what it really was. It just seems odd to add something such as vodka to a pasta sauce. But much to my surprise, it is awesome! And I’ve made it twice now in the last couple of weeks. It’s fast and easy, and really good. It has a little kick from the red pepper flakes, with a little bite from the remaining vodka. It’s a perfect way to jazz up spaghetti night at home!One Year Ago: Morning Harvest Muffins and Four-Cheese Stuffed Shells with Smoky Marinara

Penne alla Vodka

1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, liquid reserved
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ small onion, minced (about ¼ cup)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon salt
⅓cup vodka
½ cup heavy or whipping cream
1 pound penne, or desired pasta shape
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
Parmesan cheese, for serving
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, until just shy of al dente. Drain, reserving ¼ cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, add half of the tomatoes to your food processor and pulse until smooth. Dice the remaining tomatoes into ½-inch pieces. In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine the diced and pureed tomatoes and add the reserved tomato liquid until the total measures 2 cups.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add in the onion and tomato paste, stirring occasionally, for about 3 minutes, or until the onions begin to soften. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring constantly, just until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Mix in the tomatoes and salt; take the pan off of the heat and add the vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer until the alcohol flavor is mostly cooked off, about 8 to 10 minutes; stir constantly, lowering the heat if needed to maintain a simmer. Stir in the cream and cook until hot, about 1 minute.

Add the pasta back to the large pot; pour the sauce over the pasta, and toss over medium heat until the pasta absorbs some of sauce, about 1-2 minutes. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water as needed. Stir in the basil and season to taste with additional salt, if necessary. Serve immediately, garnished with freshly grated or shredded Parmesan cheese.

Source: Tracey’s Culinary Adventures via Cook’s Illustrated

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Lemon-Garlic Linguine with Mascarpone and Shrimp

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lemon, mascarpone, pasta, shrimp

I’m thinking it’s been a while since I posted a pasta recipe… the horror! Hehe. Yes, I have an addiction. It’s almost as bad as my chocolate addiction. 🙂 In my defense, it doesn’t help that my husband always wants pasta. When given dinner options, he’ll always choose the dish with pasta in it! Don’t worry, I’m not complaining!I already have lemon pasta dishes, such as Spaghetti with Olive Oil and Lemon and Orecchiette with Shrimp, Arugula, and Grape Tomatoes, but having more delicious lemony and pasta-y recipes is never a bad thing in my book. This specific recipe has a special Italian flair due to the addition of mascarpone, which is an Italian cream cheese (hence, awesomeness, since it’s cream cheese and Italian). The pasta is creamy and delicious, with a subtle kick from the red pepper flakes. It’s a perfect dish for spring!One Year Ago: Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Lemon-Garlic Linguine with Mascarpone and Shrimp

1 pound dried linguine
1½ teaspoon lemon zest
Juice of 1 lemon, about ⅓ cup
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 small shallot, minced
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
¼ cup dry white wine
½ cup mascarpone cheese
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Lemon slices, for serving, optional

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to boil. Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water.

Meanwhile, pat the shrimp dry and toss with half the lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

In a large skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter. Add the shallot, garlic, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring continuously, until the garlic is golden brown and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the shrimp and cook about 90 seconds on one side. Flip the shrimp, reduce the heat to medium, and add the white wine and half the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook about 1 minute. Add the mascarpone, reserved pasta water, and linguine; toss to coat. Cook an additional 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pasta is well coated and the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the remaining lemon zest, lemon juice, and parsley. Season with additional salt and pepper if necessary, and serve immediately, with lemon slices if desired.

Source: Adapted from Pink Parsley

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

Tags

cheese, evaporated milk, macaroni, pasta, vegetarian

When I was a kid, Kraft mac and cheese was one of the tastiest lunches. Especially since it came in so many different shapes and characters (for some reason, the fun shapes seemed to taste better to me). When I went to college, it became all about easy mac. Quick, easy, and didn’t need a stove since I only had a microwave in my dorm room. And I haven’t had it since… 6 or more years since I used powdered cheese to make mac and cheese, and I can’t say I miss it but I do miss a nice and easy stovetop macaroni and cheese.

This stovetop mac and cheese was so good! From what I remember, it tastes similar to Kraft, but is sooo much better! And you can adjust the cheeses to whatever you prefer, as with any mac and cheese recipe. And like usual, I’ve upped the pasta amount from the original recipe. In my defense, I started with 8 ounces of pasta, but I just had so much extra sauce around the pasta so I had to make use of it! Besides, since when is more mac and cheese a bad thing! 🙂Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese
Note: Use any combination of Cheddar cheese, Monterey Jack cheese, and American cheese to total 12 ounces.

2 eggs
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated milk, divided
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
16 ounces elbow macaroni or other small pasta
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 ounces sharp Cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups)
6 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 1½ cups)

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, 1 cup of the evaporated milk, dry mustard, salt, and pepper; set aside.

In a large pot, prepare pasta according to package directions, cooking until al dente. Drain the pasta and return to pot over low heat. Add butter and stir until completely melted. Add the egg mixture and three-quarters of the cheese mixture to the pasta; stir until cheese starts to melt. Gradually add the remaining evaporated milk and remaining cheese mixture, stirring constantly, until the mixture is hot and creamy, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Source: Adapted from Cooks Illustrated via Brown Eyed Baker

Creamy Clam Linguine

Tags

clams, cream, pasta, seafood, wine

Everyone has their go-to meals. Fortunately for me, I found this wonderful recipe and it quickly became a regular on our menu. While having fresh clams with linguine is always wonderful, we don’t always have that luxury due to prices and availability. That’s where canned clams come in. They’re great since I can always have them on-hand, allowing for a quick meal without having to run to the grocery store. Always a plus! It’s warm and comforting during the winter, while being a lighter pasta dish that would be wonderful in the summer months.Creamy Clam Linguine

16 ounces linguine pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
3 (6.5 oz) cans minced clams, juices from 2 cans reserved
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup whipping cream or half-and-half
Salt and pepper
Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded for serving
Parsley, fresh or dried, for garnish

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package directions until al dente; drain well.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil and butter until the butter is completely melted. Add the garlic to the pan and sauté until golden and fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the reserved clam juice and wine to the pan, bring to a simmer, and reduce by about half. Reduce heat to medium-low and stir in the clams and cream. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Add prepared pasta to the pan and toss to coat. Serve immediately, topped with Parmesan cheese.

Source: Adapted from Annie’s Eats

Shrimp Fra Diavolo

Tags

garlic, pasta, shrimp, spicy, tomato

I’ve been making this dish for a few years now, but I wasn’t using this recipe. The one I was using was from Giada (love her food!) and had more onion and less tomato. It was good, so I kept making it, but it just wasn’t entirely what I thought it should be. When I came across this recipe, it was more of what I had in mind. After a few tweaks I carried over from the other recipe, it was perfect!

Fra Diavolo means brother devil… I’m going to assume because it’s devilishly spicy? Hehe. It has kick to it, which you can reduce or increase to your liking. I love it over linguine, but you use your choice of pasta, or even use it as a dip. So if you feel like something a little spicy to warm yourself, make sure you give this delicious shrimp a try!Shrimp Fra Diavolo

1 pound dried pasta
1 pound large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 tablespoons olive oil
8 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 cup dry white wine
1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, divided
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
¼ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped
¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Parmesan cheese, grated (for garnish)

In a small bowl, season shrimp with salt, pepper, and ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the shrimp and saute for one minute, then flip shrimp and saute until the shrimp is cooked and no longer translucent; using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp from skillet and set aside.

Add the onions to the skillet and saute for 5 minutes, or until translucent. Add garlic and saute for one minute, or until fragrant. Add wine to deglaze pan, then add tomatoes, oregano, and ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low, and let sauce simmer and reduce for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is your desired thickness. Return shrimp to the skillet along with the parsley and basil, and toss to coat in the sauce.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil, and cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, then toss with the sauce and shrimp. Garnish with additional parsley, basil and Parmesan cheese.

Source: Adapted from Gimme Some Oven