Monday, September 21, 2009

A recipe that is DELICIOUS!

It's called Penne a la Vodka...but I changed it to Gourmet Pasta:) I'll write the recipe as I found it (from Sandra Lee) and then add my changes in parentheses.

1 box 16oz dried penne pasta (I used bowtie)
1 Tbs extra-virgin olive oil
3 ounces pancetta, diced (really just a fancy name for bacon:)
1 jar 26oz pasta sauce (used cheap spaghetti sauce w/mushrooms in it)
1/2 c grated Parmesan cheese (used a mix of cheddar/mozzarella cheese)
1/3 c whipping cream

1. in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain well; return to hot pot. Cover, and keep warm.

2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add pancetta to hot oil; cook and stir until browned. Add pasta sauce. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Stir in the cheese. Simmer sauce about 5 minutes. Stir whipping cream into saucepan.

3. Serve sauce hot over cooked pasta. Garnish with additional grated cheese.

And Voila....I served it with Roasted Tomatoes Gratin, fresh red grapes and corn on the cob.

Roasted Tomatoes Gratin
4 medium tomatoes, cut in half
salt and pepper
1/4 c garlic and herb bread crumbs (I used one packet from a garlic and herb shake and bake box)
1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese (I once again just used a cheddar and mozzarella mix)
2 Tbs butter, melted
1 tsp bottled crushed garlic (I didn't add this and it was still amazing)

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet w/aluminum foil. (I just put the tomatoes in a metal pie tin)
2. Place tomato halves, cut sides up, on prepared baking sheet. season with salt and pepper; set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine crumbs, Parmesan cheese, butter and garlic. Spoon over tomatoes.
4. Roast tomatoes in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until bread crumb mixture is golden brown.

One bite into these and you will die:) Delicious combination of squishy tomato with enough spice to please the pallet.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Those both sound good. I'm going to pass it on to James (who does all the cooking in our family!).