And the Night is Still Young

One HUGE difference between how I feel now, and how I felt before is the ability to actually DO things!

Before, I would go to work and by the time I got home I had spent all the energy I had. I didn’t feel like doing anything or going anywhere.

It really put a cramp in date night.

Most of the time I would come home, and fall asleep on the couch within an hour and a half. Sometimes I would eat, but only sometimes, and it was usually something like an Eggo or toast. Fast and easy.

I am happy to say (and so is my husband) I have a new definition of fast and easy dinners! I still have energy to do things after work now, and that includes whipping up something edible for dinner.

This is what we had tonight! I’m calling it a Quick Penne Mac.

(Like mac and cheese, but fancier. And a little different. Well... it still has cheese and pasta. So I think that counts.)

Basically I raided the pantry and the fridge for things I needed to use up.

I was pretty pleased with how tasty the end result was!

Ingredients

• ½ box penne pasta
• 1 medium tomato, diced
• ¼ Vidalia onion, diced (I like Vidalia for their sweetness, but a yellow onion is good too)
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ¼ cup heavy cream
• 1/3 container of ricotta cheese (I had a 15 oz container, so about 5 oz)
• 2 teaspoons crushed dried sweet basil (I like basil. A lot.) If you use freshbasil chiffonade about 5 or 6 leaves
• about 3 slices of sandwich peppers (also know as pepperoncini or banana peppers)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Over medium low heat sweat the onions in the butter until they start to turn glassy (if you are putting in the peppers, mince these up and put them in too). At this point start boiling salted water for your pasta.

Once boiling add the penne and cook until firm (about 6 minutes). Once you put the pasta in add the minced garlic to your onion mix. Wait about 60 seconds and then add the heavy cream and the cornstarch. Stir around until all mixed. Sprinkle in the basil and stir around to mix it together.

Drain your pasta, but don’t rinse it! (And keep just a splash of pasta water.)

Mix the ricotta into the sauce mixture until it is all melty, then taste and add salt and pepper as you like. Then add a couple scoops of the pasta and let them get nice and coated in the cheesy sauce. Put the rest of your pasta in a bowl big enough to fit it all and stir it up – then pour the sauce/pasta mixture over it. Add in the diced tomatoes and stir until everything is coated.

Taste a big heaping forkful.

(You need to make sure its mixed adequately.)

Dish it up and enjoy!

It’s a filling meal, but feels very light since the cheese is so mild, and the basil brings a lovely herb aftertaste, and the tomatoes warm up and cook gently so perfectly in the hot sauce and pasta. Yum-O!!

My husband is a dedicated meat eater. So we pan fried a few slices of maple glazed tavern ham to go with it. Perfect compliment!

It’s so nice to feel like doing things again.

- Mrs. A