Super Green and Hot Sausage Celletani

Everywhere you look, there is another article about the health benefits of the superfood KALE!  Lately, we've been trying to incorporate it into things we try in the kitchen.  We have bought super greens (that include kale, spinach, swiss chard) for salad, included tons of kale in beef stew, and last night, adapted a tasty pasta recipe (from Simply Scratch).  It was really tasty, and way healthier than a bowl of regular pasta and sauce.  This morning, Mr. S, who is not usually a fan of leftovers, requested a repeat for dinner.....that's definitely my gauge of this dish's tastiness :)

Ingredients:

8 ounces cavatappi, celletani, or other twisty pasta
salt for pasta water
1 cup of halved Grape Tomatoes (if desired)
Olive Oil
3 to 4 Hot Italian Turkey or Pork Sausage links
4 to 5 Garlic Cloves, minced
1 {14.5 ounce} can of diced Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 14.5 ounce can of Don Pepino  (Or a second can of fire roasted tomatoes and fresh basil)
3/4 teaspoon of Kosher Salt, more or less to taste
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper, more or less to taste
4 or 5 handfuls of Baby Kale or Baby Spinach  (more if you want!)
Parmesan Cheese Shavings, for garnish

Directions:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil.

Pulse the can(s) of fire roasted diced tomatoes (or don Pepino's) and its juices in a food processor.

If you want to add "blistered" tomatoes:  Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a skillet, once hot add in the halved grape tomatoes and cook for two minutes. Flip and continue to cook for 2-3 more minutes until blistered and slightly caramelized. Put in a bowl and set aside

In the same skillet on medium-high add another splash of olive oil and sear the Italian Sausage on all sides. Remove and let cool a bit.  Slice the sausages into pieces (you will notice that the inside of the sausage is raw).

Reduce the heat to medium and minced garlic and sauté until the garlic is soft and fragrant. Add the pulsed tomatoes, 2 tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese, the sliced Italian sausages and cook for 10-15 minutes until the sauce thickens and the sausages are cooked through. Add water if necessary to get the sauce to your desired consistency.

At this time, season the boiling water with a half tablespoon of sea salt and then drop in the 8 ounces of fettuccine noodles, cook as the package directs. Drain the pasta.

Season with tomato sauce with kosher salt and black pepper, add the handfuls of kale and top that with the drained pasta noodles. Toss until the kale is slightly wilted (we used a combination of kale and super greens since I couldn't find baby kale).  Toss in the blistered tomatoes if desired.

Serve with shavings of Parmesan cheese.

Easy and Lighter Penne a la Vodka

If you're like us, on a chilly night, sometimes you just crave a bowl of pasta.  Quite a few months back, Mr. S and I were contemplating ordering take-out....we were craving something Italian.  It had been a VERY long time since I had had Penne Vodka and when I googled it, I was shocked at how simple it was.  Knowing that it would probably take at least 30-40 minutes for Italian take-out to be delivered, and that sauces are usually ladened with tons of butter, heavy cream, and cheese, we decided to try it ourselves.  Thirty minutes later, we were snuggled up on the couch with a bowl of pasta and a glass of wine.

Since then, we have made this recipe quite a few times.  We usually top it with either grilled chicken on shrimp to add some protein and/or some grilled veggies on the side.

Recipe adapted from Food Network's Giada De Laurentiis

Penne a la Vodka

32oz simple tomato sauce (we always use Don Peppino's pizza sauce), another jarred sauce, or Make it!
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup fat-free half and half (light or heavy cream could be used instead)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 pound penne (or other pasta)

Grilled chicken or shrimp (optional)
Freshly grated Parmesan for topping

Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a large skillet over low heat for about 20 minutes until the mixture reduces. Stir frequently so it doesn't burn or stick to the sides.  When reduced, stir in the half-and-half. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through, 1-2 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.

While the sauce is cooking, cook pasta according to the package instructions.  Cook until desired doneness is reached.  Drain the pasta.  Toss the pasta with the sauce to coat, or put the sauce on top, whichever you desire!  We have done both.  

Top with grilled shrimp or chicken if desired.

**Don't mind the crazy mixture of pasta on our plates!  We ran out of penne and had to improvise!!**