Super Easy Spaghetti with Simple Pasta Sauce and Hot Italian Sausage

So I have been watching the Sorpranos seasons 1-6 pt. 2 and in absolutely every single episode they are eating! Pasta, ziti, etc... and although I have been doing no carbs, well I take that back not "NO" carbs just limited carbs; but after countless episodes I decided to bite the bullet and indulge in some yummy pasta...CARBS!!! They are great! But the thing is I wanted it now I didn't want to spend 2 hours stirring and making my homemade pasta. So.....I whipped up this quicker version and honestly guys I think it would make Carmella Sorprano proud! 


This meal is perfect for impressing a date, a surprise family gathering (more like your family popping up and surprising you) , or wowing your gal pals with dinner wine and celebrity gossip! 


What do you need:

• 1 28 oz can of Diced tomatoes and juice 
• 1 lb of sliced fresh Italian Hot Sausage (I used Hot you can use sweet, mild, or shrimp, or even mushrooms) 
• 5 Minced Garlic Cloves  (Lots of Garlic YUM!)
• 1/4 c. Basil Leaves Fresh please people
• 1/8 teas Sea Salt, Pepper
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (I used about 2 teas plus a dash ok 2 dashes but season to your own taste) 
• Shaved Parmesan Cheese for garnish
• 1/2 box of Spaghetti Cooked according to package (I cooked mines Al dente I will explain why later) 
• 2 tbl. Olive Oil 
• 1 teas sugar
• 1/4 c Red Wine Preferably one that you are serving with dinner but this is optional. 

Okay ladies and gents get ready! Boil water with salt and cook pasta till al-dente (It literally means "to the tooth". When the pasta is cooked al dente, there should be a slight resistance in the center when the pasta is chewed.) Set Aside.

Next heat olive oil in a large dutch pot on medium high heat, once heated add minced garlic and saute. 

Add sliced sausage and saute till browned on both sides but NOT cooked throughout. 

Turn heat down a tad you don't want red sauce flying up everywhere. Add one can of diced tomatoes stir, add sugar  (it's supposed to help in balancing the acidity of the tomatoes) and seasoning (red pepper flakes,salt, pepper, more red pepper flakes). Add wine here if you'd like cook till slightly thickened about 7-10 min on medium low heat. 

Turn off flame and remove from heat toss in pasta. Cover pot. This is why it helps if the pasta is a bit hard because it will cook more once in the pot and then it will come out PERFECT! Not Mushy :( 

Toss in basil and serve topped with Shaved parmesan cheese! And viola! Yep that's it dinner is ready in 30 minutes (Actually less) and it's hearty and filling! Life doesn't get any better than that! 

 

 

P.S. When you are reheating this dish skip the microwave take a shallow skillet with about 2 teas of olive oil heat till hot them add about a cup or less of pasta and sausage and saute until heated throughout! Trust me way better than nuking it! 

YUMMY! 

Crabmeat and Lobster Stuffed Manicotti

Valentine's Day is right around the corner last year I made baked lobster tails and the year before that I made manicotti I decided I liked them both so why not combine them, but nix the tomato sauce for a Béchamel sauce and add crabmeat AND lobster to the mix! MMMMM Perfect sexy Valentine's Day Dinner! Lets get started!


What you need:

• 6 tbl of butter
• 5 tbl. flour
• shallot, minced
• pad of butter
• 1/4 c. parmesan cheese
• 4 c. milk of if you dare Heavy Cream (it's what I used in the test kitchen)
• 1 lb. Manicotti cooked
• 8 oz of lump crabmeat
• 4-8 oz of lobster tails (if you cannot find it freshly prepared in the seafood section then buy the tails and roast in the oven at 400 degrees for about 10-15 min with a bit of butter let cool and chop) 
• 1/8 teas. Freshly grated nutmeg
• 15 oz. ricotta cheese (I used whole milk cut calories by using part skim)
• Parsely for garnish
• salt (very very little), pepper, and cayenne pepper, Babineaux Seasoning (if you have)
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• Fresh Lemon Juice (half a lemon) 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large pot cook manicotti in boiling water, cook til "al dente" which means to cook until firm but not hard.  Set Aside. 

In a med large saucepan. Melt butter on med. high heat add one tabl. of flour at a time stirring briskly to dissolve after each addition. 

Pour in milk or heavy cream one cup at a time and whisk briskly so that sauce is smooth there should be no lumps. Whisk quickly and briskly after each addition, remember no lumps. Lower heat and add nutmeg. Continue to stir. Add 4-6 grinds of the pepper mill and a couple of pinches of cayenne pepper. Congrats you made Béchamel sauce but we will add cheese for this recipe. Stir, lower heat and stir in 1/4 c. Parmesan Cheese. Set aside and stir occasionally. 

In a large skillet heat on med high heat a pad of butter saute shallot and garlic set aside. 

In a large mixing bowl add lobster, crabmeat, lemon juice, ricotta cheese, shallot and garlic mixture, pepper and cayenne pepper. Combine, I used a big fork it helps break up the fresh lump crabmeat (please don't use artificial crabmeat) 

Take a 13 X 9 baking pan. Pour one half of the Béchamel sauce in the middle of the dish. 

Take the cooked and cooled Manicotti and stuff with the crabmeat mixture. I used my hands and took a little bit of the crabmeat mixture at a time and pushed into the manicotti. Don't worry if the manicotti is flattened a bit the the stuffing will puff it up. Also don't fret if the pasta breaks you can turn the torn side facing the béchamel sauce at the bottom of the baking dish. Stuff until you have filled the baking dish. 

Top the stuffed manicotti with the rest of the sauce and bake for 20 min. Until bubbly. 

Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley, fresh ground pepper and parmesan cheese. Serve hot!!!! 

This dish is simply amazing I served to my mom and step-dad and they loved it! 

Serve with these fresh colorful side dishes, sugar snap peas and berry summer salad!  YUMMY!!! 

Valentine's Day Shrimp Pasta with Spinach and Pine Nuts for 2

Valentine's Day is right around the corner so I will spend these next few weeks on dishes that are filling, easy and elegant! This dish has gone through so many variations first it started off as one of those I have shrimp and pasta lets make a last minute meal, then I added spinach, then I started with a cream sauce and decided that I want to try something lighter, and after all those trials and errors I have found something that works and that more importantly is YUM! The fun thing about this recipe is that instead of shrimp you can use fresh oysters, scallops, clams. You can also add a bit of heavy cream and grated parmesan cheese to the butter to make a creamy sauce and if you do that you can use a penne pasta and bake! But for now I will show you the basic one before expanding! 


What You Need (Basing this recipe on diner for 2): 

• 1/2 lb. of Angel Hair Pasta (used in the pictures) or Linguine 
• 1lb. Large Shrimp (Seasoned with a couple dashes of salt and 3 grinds from the pepper mill) 
• Salt/Pepper
• 6-8 Garlic Cloves (whole)
• 2 tbl. Pine Nuts
• Small shallot
• 1 1/2 Sticks Butter (Unsalted)
• 2c.  or two handfuls of Spinach 
• 2 Strips of prosciutto 

In a small sauce pot on extremely low heat slowly melt 1 stick of butter with minced Shallot. Cook until Butter is melted and warm. 

In a small saute pan heat 1 Tbl. of butter over medium heat till butter is hot, but not browned. Add garlic cloves and pine nuts to the hot butter saute until garlic cloves are browned and fragrant.  Set Aside. 

Wipe off pan and use it to fry up the prosciutto until crispy, place on paper towels and set aside. When the prosciutto cools off crumble and set aside.

In a large skillet heat over med high heat the shallot butter mixture in skillet, when warmed add shrimp and season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook until shrimp are pink on both sides. 

Add 2c. of Spinach and reserved pine nuts and garlic cloves cook until the spinach is wilted.  

Now I take a servings portion of pasta and in a small bowl pour half the shrimp mixture over the pasta and toss together (coating pasta in butter mixture) then I plate it. Top pasta with Shaved parmesan cheese (it just looks so much more elegant), crumbled prosciutto and cracked pepper. Serve with crusty bread it's perfect for sopping up that buttery goodness after the pasta is gone.

For Valentine's Day Serve this elegant dish with Riondo Prosecco. This fruity, light-bodied offering offers terrific floral notes, persistent effervescence, and a clean delicate finish. Make it more festive by adding a small scoop of your favorite sorbet (Mango, guava, and raspberry goes well) or just leave it as is. 

Crisp, Elegant, Delicious!