Spicy Shrimp and Sausage Penne

SPICY SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE PENNE 

Ingredients:
12 ounces penne rigate
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces mild italian sausage meat
4 ounces hot italian sausage meat
1/4 cup shallots, minced
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup fresh spinach, rinsed
1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/4 cup cajun seasoning (Old Bay?)
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
3 tablespoons chives, chopped fine

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al-dente. Drain, coat with half the oil to prevent sticking. Cover and keep warm
• Mix Sausage Meat in a bowl to combine. Form mixture into bite-sized meatballs or crumbles
• Heat a skillet over high heat. Add meat and cook until no longer pink in center and light crust formed on outside. Remove to plate with paper towel, cover to keep warm. Pour out grease in skillet
• In same skillet, heat over high, add remaining oil. add shallots. cook until translucent. Add garlic. Cook an additional 15 seconds. Add wine and lemon juice away from heat. Cook until almost dry, scrapping bits from bottom of pan
• Add heavy cream and sausage. Cook until cream reduces in half
• Meanwhile, heat a dry non-stick skillet over high heat under high ventilation. Toss shrimp in cajun seasoning to coat, shake off excess. Cook shrimp just until no longer translucent
• Add spinach, pasta, and half the Parmesan to the sauce. Toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cook an additional 30 seconds or until spinach wilts
• Divide among 4 bowls. Top with remaining Parmesan, chives, and shrimp.

*kid tested, mother approved!*

Tuscan Chicken Pasta

I kept seeing this on facebook, so we're giving it a try: Tuscan Chicken Pasta

Slainte!

The last couple of years I did corned beef and cabbage, and it just got boring. This year, I opted for a corned beef flat cut brisket, and went with broccoli colcannon for a change.  It turned out to be very tasty, and then I made homemade soda bread. Did you know there was a society for the preservation of real soda bread?  Seriously. The recipe is here.

The bread was great, but it doesn't keep well. I was proud of how pretty it looked though:

It was delicious, but corned beef is very fatty.  It's a once a year thing, for sure.  It made up for the fact that McDonalds here did not have a shamrock shake, but my coworker giving me a little gift surprise of Ginger Ale and Jameson more than made up for it! :)