Sunday Suppers Edition Three

It has been a cooking weekend in the Putter house! We had our small group Bible study last night, so I cooked two items for that and tonight I made one of Mr. P’s favorite meals-penne arrabiata.

The theme for our small group meal last night was breakfast, so I made a hash brown casserole and a variation of a honey bun cake. I came across one of my grandmother’s cake recipes that is very similar to a honey bun cake, so I tried that recipe. Mr. P said that it was very good, but I think I need to work on it a little more. It certainly didn’t taste as good as I remember it, and it makes me miss my grandmother so much. I wish that I could call her and ask her for tips on making it.

Even though I don’t have either of my grandmothers anymore, I do have something really special to remember them by. Last year for Christmas, my mother gave me this:

I come from a family of wonderful cooks, and this is a binder with all of the special family recipes from my mom and both of my grandmothers. I love flipping through it and trying out the different recipes that I remember from my childhood. It is truly a treasure in my kitchen.

Back when the Sopranos were on HBO, I came across this pasta recipe, and it became an instant favorite in our house. I made it many Sundays, and we would watch The Sopranos while we ate it. It had been a while since I made it, so when Mr. P mentioned it earlier in the week, I knew that I would be channeling Carmelo and making it tonight. It is a spicy dish, but you can control the amount of red pepper to put in it. The name means “angry pasta”-perfect for Tony Soprano, don’t you think?

Penne Arrabiata

1 package (5 links) mild Italian Sausage

2 medium garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp olive oil

1 small red onion diced

2 14-ounce cans of Italian seasoned diced tomatoes

1 small can tomato sauce

2 tsp dried basil

1-2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (use more or less according to your spicy preference)

1 16-ounce box penne pasta

In a skillet over medium heat, grill 4 of the sausage links until they are browned on all sides. Remove them from the heat and set aside. Remove the last sausage from its casing and brown in the skillet, breaking it up as it cooks. Remove and set aside. Once all sausage is removed from the skillet, brown the garlic and onions in olive oil, taking care not to overcook the garlic. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, and browned sausage (not the links), and bring to a boil over med-high heat. Lower the heat and let simmer for 20-30 minutes. In the meantime, cook and drain the pasta. Add the pasta to the tomato sauce and toss well. Cut the sausage links into 1/2 inch pieces on a bias, and add to the pasta. Remove from heat and mix in the dried basil. After serving, sprinkle Parmesan or Romano cheese on top if desired. I served it with garlic toast and salad tonight.

Mr. P and I are both off tomorrow-yay! Although I’ve had a couple of days off thanks to the snow and ice last week, Mr. P has had to work so I am looking forward to having a day off with him.

Busy week ahead of us-two ball games, school council meeting, and my parents are coming to visit next weekend. It has been a while since they have been here so I’m very excited about their visit.

How was your weekend?

TPP