It is always fun to meet friends at a restaurant to celebrate, but last week, we tried a new option to honor our friend Traci on her birthday. I got to know Traci through our long running book club, and as a group we try to have a special night for each of our members throughout the year. Traci’s favorite cuisine is Italian, so our group decided to collaborate to try to create a restaurant quality Italian meal to enjoy at our friend Katie’s house.
For our appetizer, we munched on beautiful antipasto skewers along with delicious bruschetta. Then we made our way to the beautifully set table where the star of the show was Katie’s Spicy Italian Sausage Penne. She developed this recipe by combining two different recipes that she liked into the perfect fusion.
This Spicy Italian Sausage Penne was one of the best pasta dishes I’ve ever tasted. It was spicy while sweet with great depth of flavor. I am certain that I’ve never had pasta in a restaurant that has tasted as good.
Other friends brought Caesar salad and bread to compliment the main dish. I brought a cheesecake made from Rebecca Pray’s recipe (that I’ve previously shared in my column) for dessert.
We all thoroughly enjoyed the food and the company. There is something about being at a friend’s house that adds an extra level of comfort and fun to the evening. I highly recommend Katie’s recipe and I also recommend collaborating with friends to create a special night to remember.
From Katie’s kitchen to yours – enjoy!
Serves 8
16 oz. Penne pasta, or your favorite pasta shape
1 T. olive oil
1 lb. sweet Italian sausage
1 lb. spicy Italian sausage
10 cloves of garlic, minced
2 c. chicken broth
1 T. flour
2-14.5 oz. Cans fire roasted diced tomatoes
1 c. heavy cream
1 T. dried basil
2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper
1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Fresh basil, torn (optional)
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
Meanwhile, add olive oil to a skillet and brown the sausage over medium heat. Transfer cooked sausage to a plate and dispose of most of the fat. Add garlic and chicken broth to the same skillet. Sprinkle with flour and whisk until the flour has dissolved. Cook until reduced, 1-2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, heavy cream, basil, crushed red pepper flakes, and sausage. Cook the sauce for a few more minutes until thickened. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Just prior to serving, mix sauce with noodles and grated Parmesan cheese. When serving, top with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh basil, if desired.
***And don’t forget to send me your wonderful family recipes so I can sample and share them here. Send your name, hometown and recipe with its history or backstory to kewaneevoicerecipes@gmail.com.
