Penne with Vodka Cream Sauce and Garden Green Beans

I had another one of those days where the mental image of what I wanted for dinner hit me while I was in the car on my way home. I was already planning to stop by the grocery store to pick up some Airborne for my almost-sorta-kinda-sick hubby, so I just picked up a few extra things while I was there.

But I was already hungry by the time I got home, so I thought I’d indulge in a little pre-dinner snack. I sliced up some fresh French bread and dipped it in some fancy dipping oil with sundried tomato and basil as if I was at an Italian restaurant, except I was leaning over the counter to eat, using my apron as a napkin, laughing at my puppies as they played, and rocking out to the Pandora app on my tablet. Other than that, just like eating at an Italian restaurant.

Also, I was drinking wine, a delicious malbec that my friend brought over the night I made crumb-coated chicken thighs.

This penne dish has something for both hubby and I. I love the creamy pasta sauce, and he loves the sweet Italian sausage. It’s a pretty good compromise, so I’m not sure why it’s been so long since I’ve made it. Anyway, start by taking off all the casings on the sweet Italian sausages before you do anything else. I use twice as much sausage as the recipe calls for because when I’ve made this in the past, hubby has told me that he liked everything except that it didn’t have enough sausage.

Plop it in a big skillet with a healthy dose of olive oil and heat it until it’s browned.

While that’s going on, start boiling your penne. Honestly, I seriously thought about halving this recipe, but then I admitted to myself that I didn’t want to deal with that. I was tired and craving carbs, so if the recipe called for a whole pound of penne pasta even though I was only planning on serving hubby and myself, why the hell not?

That sausage is starting to look and smell pretty amazing. Someday they’ll figure out how to share scents over the Internet, but for now you’ll just have to do with a picture. I’ve just added a bunch of minced garlic and half a teaspoon of red pepper flakes to make it zippy.

After the garlic has started to brown a bit, add a big 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for a while.

While it’s doing that, you can start prepping your sides. First, I saw something at the grocery store that I just HAD to pick up. This is why you should never shop when hungry.

That’s a giant scoop of garlic bread spread. I don’t think it has any actual butter in it, just butter-flavored things, plus garlic and what looks like parsley or some other green leafy thing, but it just smelled delicious. I think this is what frozen Texas toast is made from. I guess making my own would have been better, but this was just so easy and tasty.

There’s that French bread again. I guess I didn’t take pictures of it slathered with my garlic bread spread. Use your imagination.

And then I wanted to make some green beans. I’ve had this on my list of things to blog about for forever but haven’t because it’s somewhat unremarkable.

First, steam some fresh green beans.

After about 5 minutes, put it in a bowl. Add olive oil, salt, pepper, white wine vinegar, Parmesan cheese, and parsley. Last time I made it, I realized that it called for too much Parmesan cheese – it was overwhelming.

I was more careful this time.

Both times, I used minced garlic instead of sliced and did not pick it back out after a while, like the recipe says to do. Sue me.

Turning back to the pasta, it’s ready.

Add some vodka and some heavy cream to the sauce

Once it’s mixed in, add in that pasta and stir for another minute until everything is well-mixed.

Isn’t that nice? The sauce is creamy and has a bit of a bite to it, which you can chalk up to the crushed red pepper flakes.

As for the green beans, they weren’t as good as I remember them being the last time. Is it because I bought the beans from the farmer’s market last time, but from the grocery store in January this time? Because I used more cheese last time? Because I used regular white vinegar last time instead of white wine vinegar? Because I ate all that bread an hour before eating this?

Eh, who cares. It was all tasty.

Especially that garlic bread.

Thanksgiving Post #3: Sides

I’m starting to feel like I’m really behind now. Thanksgiving’s over a week in the past and I’m really into Christmas mode, yet I’m still posting about Thanksgiving. I’ll try to finish up soonish. My concern with taking pictures went by the wayside as my dishes neared completion, so I guess individual posts for these wouldn’t be very satisfying. I’ll do what I can.

Side dish #1: Sweet Potato Casserole (click for the recipe)

Last year I did mashed potatoes. That went well, but I felt like doing something different this year. Sweet potatoes, then. I’d never really worked with them before, so I googled different recipes. I hate marshmallows so I didn’t go with one that was topped with them, so I apologize for those who are disappointed. I found something that was way better, though.

I couldn’t believe how easy this was. Cook sweet potatoes (I peeled, cubed, and boiled them). Throw them in kitchenaid with butter, milk, sugar, vanilla extract, and eggs. Beat until creamy. Drop in a tiny bit of brown sugar before you realize you’re not supposed to do that yet.

Put together a topping of brown sugar, flour, butter, and pecans.

Sprinkle on top of the sweet potatoes and bake. It’s that simple, and not a marshmallow in sight. Yum. A nice sweet side to balance all the salty, savory dishes.

Side dish #2: French Onion Green Bean Casserole (click for original source)

I know it’s tradition to do a green bean casserole. I don’t think my family ever really did it, or if they did, it was just for a year or two, so I don’t have a family favorite to fall back on. The past few years, I’ve been using a Campbell’s recipe that (shockingly) calls for condensed cream of mushroom soup, plus some seasonings, mixed with green beans, topped with French fried onions. *Yawn*

I just don’t think it’s that great. But then I saw this other blog, and I just needed to make the dish that they described as a mixture between traditional green bean casserole and French onion soup. NEEDED to make it.

First, “Chef John” says to chop the onions in the direction of the grain, rather than across. Then again, he follows up with “They’re your onions, cut them however you want to.” But the point of slicing them this way is so that they’ll stick together better when you caramelize them.

Throw the onions in a large skillet and caramelize them. I have honestly never done this before, so I’m glad I had the video of his onions turning brown so I didn’t panic when mine did the same.

While you’re waiting for that, start a white sauce. Melt a little butter in a saucepan.

Add flour.

Stir in milk, then season with nutmeg, cayenne, thyme, and salt and pepper.

Spread half of your caramelized onions in a casserole dish that you bought for $10 at the grocery store last week but already love dearly.

Dump on 2 pounds of semi-cooked green beans (boiled for just long enough to take away the raw crispiness). How pretty.

Top with your white sauce. Lament the fact that it doesn’t look as creamy or thick as “Chef John’s” white sauce, though it does taste good.

Add Swiss cheese (your replacement for the gruyere that you couldn’t find at the store), then the rest of the onions.

Then completely forget to take pictures as you add a mixture of Panko bread crumbs and melted butter, then more cheese, and then bake it.

Side Dish #3: Cranberry Sauce

There’s nothing too crazy about this one. Mix together brown sugar, white sugar, orange juice, water, and cinnamon.

Cook until the sugars are dissolved.

Add cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes.

They make a lot of noise as they cook. Pop pop pop! Eventually, just remove it from heat and let it cool. That’s all.

Side dish #4: Cornbread Dressing

This was hubby’s project this year. He didn’t take pictures, though I took one of the cornbread before he worked is magic on it. He did all the work while I was off making the big bucks, so I’m not even going to try to write about it, either. Sorry.

 

And this is what you get. Pumpkin bread, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, sweet potato casserole, French onion green bean casserole, and turkey with gravy (slightly pink from the brine and aromatics).

Nom nom nom. So worth the effort.

My coworkers devoured the leftovers. Guess that means it all turned out well.