Spicy sausage pasta in cream sauce

I got this recipe off of my best friend's blog. My dad and brother hunt a lot so we constantly have a freezer full of deer sausage that I'm always trying to use. This was a great way to use some up! Ross loved it! I've noted my changes in green.

Ingredients:

* 1 pound italian sausage 2 links deer sausage
* 1 pound beef link sausage
* 1 small chopped onion
* 1 jalapeno, chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, chopped
* 1 green bell pepper, chopped
* 1 heaping teaspoon Paprika
* 1 heaping teaspoon Italian seasoning
* Salt and pepper
* 1 can diced tomatoes 2 cans diced tomatoes
* 1/3 cup vodka 1/3 cup pasta water
* 1 cup half & half
* 1 pound rigatoni 1 pound whole wheat spiral pasta
* 1 cup grated Asiago cheese
* chopped fresh basil and parsley I didn't have fresh, so I used dried

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta. In a large saute pan over medium heat brown italian sausage and add your cut-up beef sausage link. Add onions, jalapenos and garlic and saute until softened, about 5 minutes. Add green pepper, paprika, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper, to taste, and cook a few minutes more.

Add your pasta to your boiling water and cook until al dente. Add your can of tomatoes to the meat skillet and simmer for about 10 minutes or so.

Now, add the vodka and half & half, and cook a few minutes more. Feel free to add real cream if you feel like living on the wild side. I'll stick with the half&half...it makes me feel better about myself.

Now, when everything is done, add your pasta to a big bowl, pour in your skillet creation, throw in your grated cheese and fresh herbs, give it a good mixin' and you're ready to eat!

This is absolutely delicious. I've made it twice in about a 2-3 week span. Oh, I forgot to tell you...I also sprinkled in some red pepper flakes to my meat/onion/tomato skillet while it was cooking. Just to give it a little extra kick.

Spicy, creamy shrimp and mushroom pasta

I hardly ever cook with real butter...but it's our anniversary so I went all out. Paula Dean would be proud! This was to die for and may actually cause a coronary aneurism. You have been warned. Ross said it was one of the best things he has ever eaten in his life! I'd say it's hubby approved.


Ingredients
* 1 (8 ounce) package of favorite pasta
* 2 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
* 1/2 cup butter (yes, an entire stick)
* 2 cloves garlic, minced
* 1/4 cup chopped onion
* 6 oz cream cheese cream cheese (a little less than the entire pack)
* 5 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley (about ½ of the bunch)
* 2 teaspoon dried basil
* 2 scoops (give or take) pasta water
* 1 pound shrimp
* Old Bay Seafood Seasoning to taste
* Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning to taste (very salty to use sparingly)


Directions
1- Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add 1 clove garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms; cook and stir until tender. Transfer to a plate.
2- Saute shrimp in a few tbsp butter and season with lots of Old Bay and a little bit of Tony’s. Tony’s is very salty, so be careful. Once shrimp are nice and pink, transfer to the plate with the mushrooms.
3- This is a good time to start your pasta. Cook until al dente.
4- In the same pan (with all of the drippings still in the pan), melt 1/2 cup butter with other clove of minced garlic. Stir in the cream cheese, breaking it up with a spoon as it melts. Stir in the parsley, basil, Old Bay and Tony’s. Simmer for 5 minutes. Mix in pasta water until sauce is smooth. Stir in cooked shrimp and mushrooms, and heat through.
5- Serve sauce over pasta. Bon appétit!

Gnocchi in pesto cream sauce

Ross and I first tried gnocchi (no-kee) while at Pisa, Italy. After touring the Leaning Tower, shopping the local venders and taking lots of pictures we went into this quaint little cafe that looked exactly as you would expect...red table clothes, vines on trellises, little flowers on the tables....so cute....I ordered the gnocchi in a pesto cream sauce.

Gnocchi is a little potato pasta dumpling. It is soooooo good and very versatile! After we got back from Italy we looked for it in stores everywhere. I finally found it at World Market, but now you can get it at Target too! It only takes 2-3 minutes to cook and it is imperative that you do not overcook it!! Boil your big pot of salted water. Drop in gnocchi. As soon as they start floating to the top they are done! Take them out! Hurry, hurry! You don't want them to overcook because they start to fall apart and get starchy.

Here is my rendition of the dish that we tried in Pisa.

You will need:
**I'm not giving any measurements b/c it depends on how much gnocchi you want to cook**
Half and half cream or whole cream...up to you
Basil pesto...I use Classico brand...you can get it anywhere
Salt and pepper to taste
Red pepper flakes (optional)
Grated Parmesan cheese
Gnocchi

Directions:
Simmer cream over low heat in saucepan. Add several heaping tablespoons of pesto. Sprinkle in Parmesan cheese. Stir and taste. Do you need to add salt/pepper/red pepper flakes? Now would be a good time. Stir until cheese is nicely mixed in and smooth. Voila! You are done. Now, cook and drain your gnocchi (remember not to over cook it! only 2-3 minutes is all it takes). Mix together sauce and pasta. Enjoy!


Here's a picture of me, just moments before devouring a huge plate of gnocchi in pesto cream sauce!

Chicken Pesto Pasta Salad

This is a quick and easy meal great for hot summer days b/c it is served cold. It is also a great way to use left over chicken!

One box of your favorite short pasta cooked al dente (I like shells, penne or pinwheels)
3 cooked chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces (left overs work great here)
Pesto (it's on the same isle as spaghetti sauce)
Red pepper flakes
Cherry tomatoes cut into halves

Once chicken and pasta are cooked, mix together with 3 or 4 tbsp of pesto. Add red pepper flakes to taste. We like it spicy, so I use a lot. Cool in fridge until ready to serve. Top with cherry tomato halves before serving.