S-s-s-sausage and Broccoli Penne with Crusty Crust Bread

Hi everyone! So nice to write you you again this evening! On this Sunday evening Juli, Kara and I enjoyed a feel-good dinner made by Juli. We had pasta with broccoli and sausage, and a side salad, along with some crusty crust bread that had a roasted tomato and garlic spread. So yummy! Juli made this dinner once before at the very start of the school year, but tonight I thought it was even better than before! It is a 30 minute recipe that tastes like it took all day to make...it's that good.

Tonight at the dinner table, us girls sat down to a relaxing dinner. Kara came home from a long day at the library for a dinner break before heading out back to study her brains out for her big test tomorrow (good luck Kara!). This sausage and broccoli penne was just the brain food she needs!

Here is the recipe that Juli used:

Ingredients
1 pound dried rigatoni, penne, or ziti
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound chicken or pork sausage, casings removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 14.5 ounce can low-sodium chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 bunch broccoli florets, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups (6oz) grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Directions
Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, crumbling it with a spoon, until no trace of pink remains, about 7 minutes. Spoon off and discard any excess fat. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minute. Add the broth and red pepper flakes and bring to a boil. Add the broccoli, cover, and cook until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the butter and Parmesan and cook uncovered until the sauce thickens slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the drained pasta, salt, and black pepper and toss to combine. Set aside a few minutes before serving to allow the pasta to absorb some of the liquid. To serve, divide the pasta among individual bowls. Tip: cook pasta in plenty of salted water. The salt will help being out the natural flavors of the pasta. (www.realsimple.com)

Here is the recipe that Juli used for the roasted tomato and garlic, that was pureed and turned into a spread:

Ingredients
2 packages cherry tomatoes
1 head of garlic (multiple cloves)
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt
pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off the top of the garlic head and place right side up on baking sheet. On the same baking sheet, place cherry tomatoes and drizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place in oven and cook about 10 minutes, checking often, rolling the tomatoes around. You want the tomatoes to "pop". Once they have "popped" remove them from the baking sheet (leave the garlic) and place in a blender. Blend the tomatoes until they are a puree. Then, transfer them to a serving bowl. Meanwhile, let the garlic continue to cook for about 30 minutes, or until it becomes soft. Remove it from the oven and place on a dish with the tomato puree. Serve on crusty crust bread by popping out a clove of roasted garlic and smashing it on the bread. Then add the tomato puree and spread it over the garlic. Enjoy!

And we can't forget about the crunchy salad! Kara made this light dish with lettuce, tomato, celery, and red pepper. Mmm mmm mmm!

I have to say that this was a great Sunday night dinner. I'm ready to take on the week! And just a little something fun to share, this weekend was our first time receiving a Bountiful Basket. What this is is a food co-op that buys produce in bulk and reduces the prices for local buyers. Then every 2 weeks, we can go pick up our basket and see what goods we get that week. And each time, there are different produce that come in the basket, so it's like Christmas waiting to see what we get. For tonight's dinner, Juli used the head of garlic that came in the Bountiful Basket. So with this new produce basket that we are receiving, it will be fun to come up with dinners that require a little creativity to use what we have!

Stay tuned this week for some delicious dinners and entertaining stories!