Monday Night Dinner

As the weather warms up and the idea of playing Chef in my little kitchen is not as pleasing as it once was, a quick little meal of pasta will always hit the spot. It is quick, economical and not to mention delicious. So I grabbed my favorite pasta and jarred sauce, I am not one to be squeezing tomatoes and simmering them and all that nonsense, I leave that to well people who want to do that sort of thing. So if you follow the recipe below, you will be out of your kitchen and back in your air conditioned room watching Gilmore Girls or Sex and the City or Baseball Tonight in 20 minutes tops. And you will have fed your kids, significant other, family or best friend or just the person you love most, yourself (I kid, well only slightly)

Ingredients:

3-cloves of garlic diced (don't use that jar garbage)

2-tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

1/4- onion vidalia sweet or 2 shallots diced

1/2 pound of Angel Hair or Thin Spaghetti (I like Ronzoni Smart Taste)

1-cup tomato sauce  (I love Barilla tomato basil or Rao's Marinara

3-dashes of Tabasco sauce (i go higher with their Habanero version)

1-tbsp butter (no margarine please or omit the butter if you must)

1/4-cup of heavy cream or half and half

2-leaves of fresh Basil (if you have dried, don't use it)

2-3 tbsp Parmesano, Pecorino or Romano cheeses (ground)

Need a Protein boost? 

Add 1-cup grilled chicken or 8 frozen shrimp

Large pot bring about a gallon of water to a boil

Medium skilled add the olive oil and saute to onion or shallots until translucent, add the garlic and continue to cook for a minute or two add the butter and cream or half and half and cook until it begins to boil, then add the sauce and cook for a minute adding the red pepper flakes and if desired the 3 dashed of  the hot sauce of choice, protein and combine. The sauce will be thick so reserve a cup of the starchy cooking pasta water. Drain pasta and add to the skillet combine and then garnish with fresh basil and cheese. Delicious hot or room temperature and enjoy!

Tips: Get the Frozen Shrimp from the freezer, the "Fresh" ones were previously frozen then thawed

Grill chicken in portions and then freeze until needed

Add frozen peas as well to the dish for added veggie boost, or spinach would be lovely

Alexa's Faves: 

Barilla Tomato Basil, slightly sweet sauce http://www.barillaus.com/Home/Pages/Sauce_Information.aspx

Rao's Marinara sauce best all purpose sauce http://www.raos.com/premium-sauces.aspx

Cheers!