Shrimp Puttanesca w/ Angel Hair

Who was a picky eater as a kid and will eat just about anything now? That practically sums me up as a human. And some days I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing. Aside from the garlic and pasta in this dish, as a kid, I pretty much would eat zero of these ingredients. Nowadays, I eat it all, I eat it with a smile, and it's hard to convince me to stop! Happy National Garlic Day y'all! 

 Grocery list (4 people):  

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

• 8 garlic cloves - minced

• 2 tsp oregano

• 1 tsp red pepper flake

• 20 oz (2 bags) fresh mini San Marzano tomatoes or grape tomatoes - sliced in half longways

• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives - sliced in half longways

• 3 tbsp capers

• 1 lb shrimp - peeled, deveined, tails off

• Kosher salt

• Pepper

• Angel Hair pasta

• 1 tbsp chopped basil

• 1 tbsp chopped mint

Directions:

1. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil over low heat. When warm add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flake. Cook for about one minute or until fragrant being careful to not burn the garlic.  

2. Turn heat up to medium and add the sliced tomatoes, sliced olives, capers, and shrimp with 1 tsp of salt and a 1/2 tsp of pepper. Saute for about 5 minutes or until tomatoes start to burst and shrimp is slightly pink. Turn heat back to low to keep warm.

3. Add a handful of salt to a large pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook Angel Hair pasta according to package directions (usually about 2 minutes) or until al dente. Using tongs, put the pasta directly into the pan with the shrimp mixture. Add about 2 tablespoons of pasta water to create a sauce and mix together well. Taste for seasoning and add more salt if needed. Top with basil, mint, and a drizzle of olive oil. 

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!! 

Ziti a la Vodka

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When me and my brother were kids, we hated traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas food. No turkey, ham, dressing, or green bean casserole for us... We wanted pasta!!! So every year, my sweet mama made sure we had a delicious, cheesy, bubbly dish of comforting baked pasta. She usually cooked lasagna but there were a few times baked ziti was on the menu, and I absolutely loved the dish! Here I have taken the traditional vodka sauce and put it into another form.. Baked ziti! A perfect dish for Christmas or any of these cold days! Every time I eat baked pasta, I can't help but think of it as Christmas food.

Grocery List:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1/2 cup shallot

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup vodka

• 26.46 oz Dei Fratelli Finely chopped tomatoes

• 2 cup cream

• 1/3 cup chopped basil

• 1 tbsp salt

• 8 oz mozzarella

• 4 oz Parmesan

• 1 lb penne pasta or similar

• 1 tbsp good, fruity olive oil

Directions:

Step 1:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

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Heat olive oil and butter in a large sautée pan over medium heat. Sautée shallots until they begin to brown. Add garlic, seasoning, and red pepper and sautée for one minute or until fragrant.

Step 2: Add vodka and scrape up brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Let vodka reduce by half. Stir in tomatoes, cream, basil, and salt. Let sauce cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

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Step 3: Bring a large pot of water with a handful of Kosher salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost al dente but not quite (about 1-2 minutes less than package says). Drain pasta and set aside.

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Step 4: Add mozzarella and pasta to the sauce mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to a casserole or baking dish. Top with Parmesan and olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly. Top with more basil if desired.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!