Tried and true recipes, new twists on old favorites, and new dishes to expand my family's palate.
Fusilli is my favorite shape of pasta, and I attribute that to the thickness of the stands and the way it really grabs onto whatever sauce you top it with.
I have many ways of making sauce to top pasta, and this is just one of them. It’s quick, easy, and delicious.
FUSILLI PASTA WITH CREAMY TOMATO SAUCE:
In a large sauté pan, add the oil, onions and garlic. Saute until translucent, and if you like it the way I do, I usually let the garlic just begin to brown a bit. Watch the garlic since it goes from nutty and browned to burnt in mere seconds.
Once done, add the white wine and stir to scrape up all the bits on the bottom of the pan.
Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano and parmesan cheese and stir well. Place the burner on simmer and cover. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Meanwhile, in a large stock pot, add water that you have generously salted. Cover and allow to come to a boil.
Once the water has reached a good rolling boil, add the pasta and stir to prevent sticking.
Uncover the sauce and add the cream, chopped parsley and basil, along with salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. *If you are adding the pepper flakes to the sauce, add them now and stir well.
Once the pasta has reached al dente, immediately drain it and place it in a large bowl. Remove the sauce from the heat and add this to the pasta. Stir well and serve immediately. This is especially good with some garlic bread on the side.
Enjoy!
This is my all time favorite macaroni salad, and my family would agree with me. It’s simple and easy to throw together and I make it often in the warm weather months.
The shrimp I use in this dish are the “tiny” version found in a can. Before you cover your eyes and run away from that idea I promise you they work and they work well. I’ve tried it with fresh shrimp and frozen tiny shrimp and just was not happy with the results. The canned “tiny” version is what works best and I’ve never had anyone who has tried it tell me they didn’t love this salad.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
SHRIMP & MACARONI SALAD:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the macaroni. Cook until just done. When done, drain and rinse with cool water and set to the side.
Dice the celery and the onion and grate the carrot and set to the side.
Drain and rinse the shrimp and set to the side.
In a large bowl add the macaroni, celery, onion, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, garlic powder and the grated carrot. Mix well and add more mayonnaise if needed. Once mixed, add the two cans of shrimp and fold in. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or two before serving.
Stir well before serving and enjoy!
