Pasta with Sausage and Artichokes

Great recipe!  Made last night and loved every bite.  Very fresh with all of the herbs and tomatoes added at the end!  This recipe is from Giada and I saw it on the today show :)

Pasta with sausage and artichokes 

From Giada

ingredients

6 servings

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil 1.5 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed 2 16 oz cans of artichokes in water, not drained 2 large garlic cloves, chopped 1 ¾ cups chicken broth ½ cup dry white wine 12 ounces whole grain Castellane or Penne pasta ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley ½ teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper 8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed

instructions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and sauté over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and wine. Boil over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces slightly, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta in boiling water until tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse). Add the pasta, sausage, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, tomatoes and parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve, passing the additional Parmesan cheese alongside.

What I have been cooking lately: Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

I know it has been a while... call me lazy!  I still want to have an account where I post my favorite recipes so I can use and maybe you can too.  I cannot promise amazing pictures but I can say that the recipes I will post will be delicious:)

Lemon-Garlic Shrimp and Grits

Ingredients:

3/4 cup grits - (you can use instant but I much prefer slow cooking grits) 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 TBS unsalted butter

1.5 lb medium shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails off

2 garlic cloves, minced

pinch of cayenne pepper

1 lemon - juiced

zest of 1 lemon

1 lemon, wedges cut for serving

2 TBS roughly chopped fresh parsley

a splash of half and half

Directions:

Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat.  Slowly whisk in the grits, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp pepper.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook, about 20-30 minutes.  Note - follow the directions on your specific grit package for cooking for best results.  If your grits become too thick, simply add a couple splashes of half and half to the grits.  This will make them creamier!  When there is about 5 minutes left of cooking, stir in the parmesan and 1 TBS butter.  Remove from the heat and season as needed with salt and pepper to taste.  Cover to keep grits warm.

While the grits are cooking, this is when I peel the shrimp and get them ready for cooking.  When shrimp are peeled, season with salt and pepper.  I also added a little seasoning of lemon pepper.  When ready, melt 2 TBS butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the shrimp, garlic, and cayenne.  Cook 3-4 minutes, tossing until the shrimp are pink.  Remove the shrimp and set aside.

Remove the skillet from the heat and add 2 TBS water, lemon juice, lemon zest, and parsley.  At this point you may need to add about 1 more TBS of butter to help thicken your sauce - totally optional.  When sauce tastes right, place the shrimp back in the skillet and toss.

To serve:  Place grits on bottom and shrimp/sauce mixture on top.  Garnish with a touch more parsley and lemon wedges

This recipe was found and slightly adapted from Food Network.  And, there is a good picture there!  Win Win for me:)