Comfort Food For the weekdays: Itlain Sausage in Angle Hair Pasta

Pasta is one of those dishes that can be quick and pretty good, or slow and Mama Mia good.   I offer a weeknight compromise: Quick pasta, slow rest-of-the-ingredients, and dinner is served on time!

Ingredients:

1lb Italian sausage
1 red onion
4tbs olive oil
1 jar red sauce
2tbs basil
1tbs oregano
1tsp black pepper
1/2 package angle hair pasta

Serves: 4+

Time: 35min

Directions:

1) Start boiling the water.  You will need about 4 cups.  Feel free to add a little salt and olive oil as well, as discussed in prior posts :)

2)Add the olive oil to the pan and turn onto medium heat.  Give extra time to warm up if using an electric oven.

3) Add all the sausage, pre-chopped or separated in the pan.  I prefer to separate in the pan, personally.  Also add your sliced onions at this time.

4) If you choose to use all the spices listed, add them now, so they have time to soften and mellow.  If you are using less spices than listed above, you may want to add them later on so they will taste more potent. Yes, spices are always optional.  Well... usually.

5) While you are cooking the meat thoroughly, and keeping a close eye on it, add the pasta to the boiling water.

6) Add most of the the jar of red sauce to the pan.*

*The reason for "most of the jar" is you may want to save a little out for making pizza!  Its super easy to do with pasta left overs.  Just save a little of the sliced onion, and a little of the meat too-- all in separate baggies of course.  We will come back to this at a later post ;)

7) Angle hair pasta cooks quickly, making it both elegant and time efficient.  After about 5 to 7 minutes, you should be prepared to drain the pasta and add it directly to the pan of yummy stuff.

8) Mix everything well and serve hot!

Cost:

Italian sausage    $3.56
red onion            $0.50
olive oil              $0.20
red sauce            $2.00
spices                 $0.35
pasta                   $0.50      
Total                  $7.11
Per serving         $1.77

Rosemary Skewered Grilled Shrimp and Pasta

I think the title says it all, but if that wasn't enough to sell you how about, "It's Seafood Sale Season!"  Which is where the inspiration for this dish came from, in case you couldn't guess.  I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I did-- And everyone I served it too!

Ingredients:                                                                                                               12 jumbo shrimp,     1 jar pasta sauce,     1 bag pasta,    4 rosemary springs,    seasonings to taste: I strongly recommend basil, black pepper, and garlic salt

Time: 35 min

Serves: 4, (With left over pasta and sauce...)

Directions: 

1) Shell and rinse the raw shrimp.  For the pretty final effect, leave just the tail on the shrimp, although this isn't necessary.

2) As pictured in series above, once you have shelled and washed your shrimpies, you must devain them.  Please actually do this step!  Turns out the toxins from eating shrimp are almost exclusively in their shit-- Literally.  By devaining the shrimp you get rid of any possible DDT contamination.  ALL shrimp are at risk of DDT contamination, no matter where you buy them or how much you pay.  Shrimp just like to grow in DDT dump sites ;P The "vain" is on the back side, so the opposite of where the legs were.  You will have to cut along the back of the shrimp to find the vain.

3) Skewer the shrimp onto the rosemary springs.  Season as desired-- and pop them in the oiled pan!  If you are grilling, you should oil the shrimp themselves before putting them on the fire. :)

4) Turn the shrimp over after 5-10 minutes.  During this time you should also be boiling your water for the pasta!  You will know when the shrimp are thoroughly cooked because the split you cut into the shrimp to devain them will become very apparent as the meat seems to expand!  Cooked shrimp will look opaque and the outside will have the classic pink look.

5)  Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add the pasta sauce directly to the pot with the pasta in it.  I am a fan of less dishes.  This will heat the pasta sauce quickly too!  Then just plate up, and serve hot!  Bon Appetite!!

Cost:
Shrimp            $6
pasta sauce     $2
pasta               $1
rosemary         hopefully free :)
Total               $9
Per serving    $2.25

Date Night in Style

Actual Date Night Tips

So obvious/typical tips for dining Date Night on the cheap:
1) Weeknight Specials
2) Happy Hour
3) Don't get a beverage
4) Definitely don't get an alcoholic beverage

These tips are great-- but take some of the fun out of Date Night... And are not always practical--Especially if you work late, have a weekday job and/or want to toast with something other than water.

Alternative solution: Sharing is caring!  Free appetizer coupons are pretty wildly available with purchase of an entree.  So purchase AN entree.  As pictured above, after we shared a lovely plate of deep friend calamari (on the house) we shared the sizzling plate of seafood fajitas.  And it was amazing! I struggled with the crab legs which only made it more Date-y as my partner in crime had to help me.  It tasted amazing, looked amazing, and was a conversation piece in itself.  As we did go there for happy hour, the house wine was $4, and completed the event!  Between the awesome food and touch of wine, everyone left feeling like a King and Queen.