Tuesday Night Dinner

Hey, it's Jennifer again! :)

When Patricia still lived here (she has her own apartment downtown now -- I already miss her living at home with us), she cooked dinner every Tuesday and Thursday to help our very-busy-and-hardworking parents out. Well, now that she has moved out, I decided to step up to the plate (pun intended) and cook dinner every Tuesday. I chose Tuesday because I like how it is neither at the very beginning nor at the end of the week; also, my friends rarely get together on Tuesday nights, which is perfect since I wouldn't want cooking to get in the way of my fun! ;) Today was the first Tuesday that I've done this, and I decided to prepare an Italian dinner. I made Bowtie Pasta with Italian Sausage in a Creamy Basil Sauce and two sides, Garlic Bread and Summer Salad. It turned out to be a huge hit, according to the family! My grandma (mom's mom) who's visiting from Korea even said she liked it, which made me really happy. I've posted a few photos and the recipe below. I'll definitely have to make this again sometime, and maybe experiment with different types of sausages.

Stay posted for more dinner ideas, every Tuesday night!

Bowtie Pasta with Italian Sausage in a Creamy Basil Sauce (serves 5-6)

Ingredients:

5 cups bowtie pasta

1 package (20 oz.) Premio Sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1 cup onion, diced

1 tablespoon garlic, minced

2 cans (15 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

2 cups half and half cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2/3 cup fresh basil, chopped

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

Directions: 

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente, drain and rinse with cold water. Set aside.

2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add de-cased sausage to skillet and crumble into small chunks with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add red pepper flakes and continue sautéing until sausage is no longer pink. Add onion and garlic to skillet and continue until onion softens. Stir in drained diced tomatoes, salt, and pepper (if using fresh tomatoes, sauté them for 3 minutes until softened). Add half and half cream and parmesan cheese.

3. Simmer gently until sauce thickens (about 5 minutes).

4. Stir in the cooked pasta and chopped fresh basil. Heat through (about 3 minutes).

Bon Appetit!