Vodka Cream Sauce

We tend to keep several jarred sauces in our pantry for nights when I need to whip dinner up in a matter of minutes. Those sauces are good to have on hand and if I have the time I'll add extra veggies or protein to them, but creating a sauce (almost) from scratch always tastes so much better.

I've been making this one for a couple years now and I'm just now getting around to posting it. I feel the need to apologize for the iPhone picture, but at the same time I'm also not sorry. I love taking photos of food, but once dinnertime rolls around I just want to eat and relax with my husband! I'm working on posting more of our favorite recipes, which means there will be more iPhone pictures in the future. I'm sorry I'm not really that sorry.

What I'm actually really sorry for is not sharing this with you sooner. This is one of those meals that's hearty and flavorful enough to stand all on its own. Sometimes if I'm really feeling ambitious, I'll add shrimp to the mix (throw them in the sauce just before adding the cream so they'll have time to cook) or my new favorite way is to make it with bacon*. Put this on your menu and you definitely won't be sorry you made it!

Vodka Cream Sauce 

adapted from Cooking Light

serves 4

Ingredients:
8 ounces pasta of your choice
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you want it spicy!)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup (4 ounces) vodka
1/4 cup chicken (or veggie) broth
1 24-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1/4 cup cream (whipping, heavy, half & half; fat free works fine, too)
3 tablespoons (about 10 leaves), fresh basil, thinly sliced
Parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, set aside, and keep warm.

Heat oil in a large pot or skillet with high sides. Add onion; saute until soft and tender. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, garlic, and red pepper flakes, and black pepper; saute 1 minute. Add vodka; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer until liquid has reduced by half (if the vodka reduces rather quickly I sometimes add an extra splash or two just for kicks). Stir in 1/2 teaspoon salt, broth, and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer for 10 minutes. Using an immersion blender (or a blender), process until smooth. (If you used a large blender, return mixture to pan.) Stir in cream; cook 2 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly until no white streaks remain. Stir in cooked pasta, basil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Serve immediately with Parmesan cheese and homemade bread.

*To add bacon: Omit olive oil; dice 4-6 slices of bacon and cook until brown and crispy in the skillet before adding onion. Remove cooked bacon to paper towels and let drain. Using the bacon fat, cook onions and follow the rest of the recipe. Add cooked bacon pieces to the sauce before adding cream.

Gnocchi Mac & Cheese

I love Gnocchi. And I also love Mac and Cheese. I came across this recipe and thought I would faint! It was super easy, and it's really customizable! I love recipes that you can tweak and change and make them your own (partially because I hate following recipes). Gnocchi is an Italian potato dumpling, I consider it in the pasta family. I hope you enjoy this as much as my husband and I did. Perfect for the cold Fall evenings coming up!

Gnocchi Mac and CheeseRecipe adapted from thecuttingedgeofordinary

Ingredients:

1 lb store bought or homemade gnocchi
2 Tbsp butter or butter subst. (I used Brummel and Brown)
1 Tbsp garlic- minced
1 Tbsp flour
3/4 cup milk
1/2 C shredded cheese- I used Tillamook mac and cheese blend (FABULOUS)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1/3 C shredded Parmesan
4-5 slices bacon-cooked and crumbled
Parsley- Optional, as a garnish.

Directions: Preheat oven to 375. Cook gnocchi according to package, once they float to the top of the water take them out! You don't want to overcook it! Drain them and put them in a prepared baking dish. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add garlic and cook until you can smell it quite a bit. Whisk in flour until it thickens and bubbles. then add milk. Continue to whisk it until slightly thickened about 4 minutes. Add cheese a handful at a time, stirring until melted each time. Once it's melted and combined season with salt and pepper. Pour the cheese sauce over the gnocchi and sprinkle with Parmesan and crumbled bacon. Bake until they puff up and cheese is browned, about 30 minutes. Near the end of the 30 minutes sprinkle on some more cheese and let it get bubbly! Sprinkle with parsley. Let it rest for a few minutes before serving so the sauce can settle.

On Top of Spaghetti...

...all covered with cheese. I lost my poor meatball, when somebody sneezed.

You all know that song, right? Well, tonight for dinner we had spaghetti and meatballs and it was so good I had to share it with you right away. I love meat just as much as the next carnivore, but for some reason I've never found a meatball that I like. And trust me, spaghetti is my favorite meal, so I've tried my fair share of meatballs. But this one practically melts in your mouth and is so flavorful!

I really hate to do this to you, but I'm sort of in a food coma right now, so you'll have to check back tomorrow for the recipe. There's nothing special about the spaghetti, but I combined three different meatball versions to get this one just right (like I said, I've been trying meatballs for awhile now), and I'll have to write the directions tomorrow morning. Mmmmm pasta!