Rating: 💋 💋 😘
It was a Friday night, and not a parent was in sight. If my sister or I had wanted to turn our house into a raging party spot, COVID rained on that parade before the first float even finished getting decorated. Instead, we decided to go domestic, and an unexpected duo dinner team was born. Reilly needs to know how to boil water for pasta before she goes to college!
To start my Friday night off, I tried this Chattan Groom Sauvignon Blanc from Naked Wines. It was very sour so that did not pan out well for me. I switched to a lime White Claw lightning fast.
Then, I hunted out this pasta recipe classic from my mom's cookbook shelf, sourced the ingredients from the fridge, and got chopping. Reilly's favorite food is pasta, but she does not know how to make it. What?! I remember going over to my guy friend's apartments in college and seeing stacks of pasta boxes lining the shelves. Even if you don't like or care about cooking and/or are too busy with schoolwork, you have to know how to make pasta if you are going to college. It is the fuel of students across the nation! It is so easy too, so I enlisted Reilly to help with fixing our dinner. To start, she found all the pots and pans we needed in the cupboards. The she went pro, learning how much water to fill in the pot, how to lightly salt the water, and just when the boil was right to dump in the farfalle. While I continued dicing peppers and tomatoes, she handled sporadically stirring the pasta so it would not stick.
Bow Ties with Sausage and Peppers
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
6 oz dried packaged bow ties
1 large red Bell pepper
1 large green Bell pepper
1 large yellow Bell pepper
12 oz mild or hot (or mixed) sausage links
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsps minced garlic
EVOO
1 large tomato
2/4 cup chicken broth
2 tsps cornstarch
1 tsp fresh shredded basil, plus more for garnish.
Preparation:
Raise a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta 10-11 minutes, until al dente. Drain and return to pot; cover.
Meanwhile, cut peppers and onion into 1-inch pieces. Cut sausage into 1/2-inch crumbles. Cook sausage, onion, and garlic in oil in a large skillet over medium heat for five minutes. Add peppers and cook for five more minutes, or until sausage is browned. Drain off fat.
Coarsely chop tomato. Mix cornstarch, chicken, broth, and 1 tsp basil in a small bowl. Add into the sausage mixture and cook until thick and bubbly. Cook two more minutes and then stir in tomato; heat through.
To serve, toss the pasta into the sausage mixture gently until coated. Serve with basil garnish.
As I was slicing the sausage, the clock struck for al dente on the pasta. Straining the pasta was a little chaotic for a second there, if I am being real with you guys. Still, Reilly skillfully poured the heavy pot of pasta into the colander, drained it just so, and poured the pasta back into the pot so it would keep warm until the sausage and veggies finished sizzling. While that cooked, Reilly kept me entertained by dishing a great pour of tea.
By all accounts, it was a fabulous Girl's Night. We set the table all nice for our own little dinner party and enjoyed a delicious plate of pasta filled with fresh veggies, flavorful Italian sausage, and hot pasta. My parents came home just as we were sitting down and my dad quickly ran to the garden, sprinkling our plates with homegrown basil for that extra special touch. I can now rest easy knowing my sister will eat well when she goes off to school.
I hope your month of August has had an auspicious start! It feels like summer only just began, and here we are in the last month. Excuse me! Who allowed this to happen? In my opinion, COVID is just one great big time warp.
XX,
MK