Ziti a la Vodka

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When me and my brother were kids, we hated traditional Thanksgiving and Christmas food. No turkey, ham, dressing, or green bean casserole for us... We wanted pasta!!! So every year, my sweet mama made sure we had a delicious, cheesy, bubbly dish of comforting baked pasta. She usually cooked lasagna but there were a few times baked ziti was on the menu, and I absolutely loved the dish! Here I have taken the traditional vodka sauce and put it into another form.. Baked ziti! A perfect dish for Christmas or any of these cold days! Every time I eat baked pasta, I can't help but think of it as Christmas food.

Grocery List:

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp butter

• 1/2 cup shallot

• 3 garlic cloves

• 1 tsp Italian seasoning

• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

• 1/2 cup vodka

• 26.46 oz Dei Fratelli Finely chopped tomatoes

• 2 cup cream

• 1/3 cup chopped basil

• 1 tbsp salt

• 8 oz mozzarella

• 4 oz Parmesan

• 1 lb penne pasta or similar

• 1 tbsp good, fruity olive oil

Directions:

Step 1:

Heat oven to 375 degrees.

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Heat olive oil and butter in a large sautée pan over medium heat. Sautée shallots until they begin to brown. Add garlic, seasoning, and red pepper and sautée for one minute or until fragrant.

Step 2: Add vodka and scrape up brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Let vodka reduce by half. Stir in tomatoes, cream, basil, and salt. Let sauce cook over low heat for 15-20 minutes.

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Step 3: Bring a large pot of water with a handful of Kosher salt to a boil. Add pasta and cook until almost al dente but not quite (about 1-2 minutes less than package says). Drain pasta and set aside.

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Step 4: Add mozzarella and pasta to the sauce mixture and stir to combine. Transfer to a casserole or baking dish. Top with Parmesan and olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes until cheese is melty and bubbly. Top with more basil if desired.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!!

Apple, Fennel, & Arugula Salad with Roasted Shrimp

When it's cold outside and the holidays are upon us, comfort food consumes me. I want it heavy, I want it sweet, I want it creamy, I want it fatty, and I want a lot of it!! Mac and cheese, stews, pies, cookies, and let's not forget the extra large bottle of Baileys I buy around this time each year... These are a few of my favorite things. But sometimes I need a break from the heaviness of the holidays. After all, Christmas is just right around the corner, and I want a full appetite for the big day! With it's subtle holiday ingredients, this salad reminds me of Christmas without bringing all the calories and fat I'm used to having this time of year. The apples and ginger give this salad a little holiday sparkle, and something about the licorice flavor of the fennel makes me think of Santa and sleigh bells!

Grocery list (2 people) :

• 1/2 lb shrimp - peeled and deveined, tails on

• 1 fennel stalk

• 1 Fuji Apple

• 2 cups arugula

• 1 lemon

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger - grated

• 1/2 tsp garlic - minced

• 1 tbsp honey or agave

• 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp olive oil

• Kosher salt

• Pepper

Directions:

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Step 1:

Heat oven to 400.

Toss shrimp with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper. Roast shrimp for 8-10 minutes or until they just turn pink.

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Step 2:

Thinly slice the bulb (bottom white part) of the fennel stalk. Cut about 1/4 cup of the fronds (herby green part) from the fennel and roughly chop. Core apple and cut into fourths. Using a mandolin, slice apples very thin (if you don't have a mandolin, just slice them with your knife as thinly as you can).

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Step 3:

In a salad bowl, toss the apples with the juice of half a lemon (this will keep apple from browning). Add the fennel and arugula and toss together.

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Step 4:

Make the dressing. In a small bowl, add juice from the other half of the lemon, ginger, garlic, honey, and a dash of salt and pepper. Drizzle in 1/4 cup olive oil while whisking to bring it all together. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Toss the dressing together with the salad. Top with the shrimp.

CHEERS TO HAPPY EATING!!