Cavatappi Bolognese

This is a quick, easy and inexpensive meal that will impress!

1 zucchini or squash

Cavatappi Pasta (or Ziti) 

one onion

2 teaspoons Italian Seasoning

2 links or 6-8 oz sweet Italian Sausage

1/2 cup chicken Stock

3 tablespoons tomato paste

1/4 cup sour cream

Pamesan Cheese (not the powder kind in the green shaker)

Slice the zucchini or squash from top to bottom the slice into 1/4" pieces. Drizzle with olive oil and 1 tsp of the Italian spice. Throw on a baking sheet and cook for 15 mins at 350.

Fill a pan halfway up with water and boil.  Add pasta and cook for 9 minutes.  Do not over cook.

While the veggies are cooking, heat a pan on medium heat and cook the sausage, breaking it up into small pieces.  Dice up the onion and add when the sausage is no longer pink.  Add the remaining Italian seasoning and saute until the onions get translucent. Add the chicken stock and stir everything together.

save 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the pasta.

Add the pasta water, sour cream and tomato paste.  Stir really well.   Add the baked vegetables, then add the pasta and mix well.

Plate the pasta and top with the Parmesan cheese.

Serve with Italian or Garlic bread.

 

Chocolate Chip Cookies for Grown-Ups

I finally found a recipe that doesn't make a flat cookie and stays moist!  I used Bailey's chips and Godiva double chocolate pudding.

Seriously, these are the kind of cookies you buy for a dollar a cookie.

• 1 cup butter softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 3.9-oz package instant chocolate pudding
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 12-oz package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugars in a large mixing bowl at medium-high speed 2 minutes with an electric mixer. Set a timer; you are beating in air to create a fluffy texture. 
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and beat just until combined. Add pudding mix and beat just until combined. Let stand 2 minutes. Don’t skip this step.
• Combine flour and baking soda in a bowl or large plate and add to the mixing bowl; beat just until flour is incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.
• Using a small scooper, scoop cookie dough onto a lightly greased baking sheet or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
  Bake 9 minutes at 350°. The center will still be slightly doughy but the cookies will firm up when cooled. If you over bake these cookies, they will lose their soft, and chewy texture. 
• Let cookies cool 2 minutes on the baking sheet then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.
  Mine makes 36 cookies.  If you want them flatter, use a spoon to flatten after you scoop.  They don't fall much during baking.