A few weeks back we hosted a little fall soirée weekend for our friends and family. We were particularly floored and extremely flattered our buddies from Amsterdam drove all the way to be here with us. The weather was crisp but not too cold with the sun streaming down on the course – perfect for golfing.
Along with Fattie’s help, I made a large Italian feast Saturday night for 40 peeps…..
This pasta disappeared fast.
Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Recipe from Giada’s Family Dinners, by Giada De Laurentiis
You’ll need:
- 3/4 cup drained oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 tablespoons of oil reserved
- 1 pound Italian hot sausages, casings removed
- 2 (8-ounce) packages frozen artichoke hearts
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 3/4 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 16 ounces penne pasta
- 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan, plus additional for garnish
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- 8 ounces water-packed fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed, optional
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
Preparation
Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes in a large, heavy frying pan over a medium high flame. Add the sausage and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-size pieces with a fork, about 8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a bowl. Add the artichokes and garlic to the same skillet, and saute over medium heat until the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth , wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce reduces slightly, about 8 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the penne and cook, stirring often to prevent the pasta from sticking together, until tender but still firm to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain the pasta (do not rinse).
Add the pasta, sausage, and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, the basil, and the parsley to the artichoke mixture. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed by the pasta. Stir in the mozzarella, if using. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese alongside.
My Adaptation
- Replace Italian sausage with spicy chorizo, sliced diagonally and browned on both sides
- Omit artichokes
- Add an additional 1/2 cup Parmesan
- Add 1/2 cup heavy cream
- Add asparagus, sliced in 2 inch pieces
The small changes I made were due to the fact that it was a bit challenging to find two of the ingredients readily available here in Sweden. I know, are you kidding me right now? It proved hard to find frozen artichokes, and since canned/jarred artichokes lose their shape when cooked too long, I omitted them altogether. It’s a rare sight to see ‘Italian sausage’ in the grocery store, so I substituted with chorizo sausage.
At just about the final point when you toss all ingredients together, add the heavy cream, the additional Parmesan, and the asparagus. Heat through for 2 minutes while cheese melts, asparagus are warmed, and cream is incorporated. *All other steps are the same*
Get your forks ready.
My Italian friends have informed me to be creative and flexible when creating these scrumptious arrays of finger foods. Here are some of the nibbles we included in ours last night: roasted red peppers, large capers, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, marinated Parmesan cubes, fig jam, Italian salami, Serrano ham, Spanish Manchego cheese, Italian Taleggio cheese, Danish blue cheese, Andouille & Merguez sausages, served with toasted French bread and please, don’t forget the wine. Italian wine would be a perfect choice.
hooked in amsterdam 