Friday Favorites: Drunk Pasta
When M and I were dating we would go out partying a lot with my friends. Friday nights were epic and when things would wind down, we would inevitably end up back at my apartment, drunk, laughing and hungry. Most of the time, our friends C&A were with us and we’d play cards to wind down the night. Before that, however, we needed to eat! C and I would furiously go through the pantry and fridge and start whipping up a crazy concoction while the boys looked on in wonder at our drunk cooking escapade.
C would slice the mushrooms while I heated the pasta water and we’d take turns adding more and more items and stirring whatever needed to be stirred. In between we’d take sips of wine, laugh our asses off and try not to fall over. When it was all finished, we’d present our masterpiece. The boys would cheer for us while we’d pat ourselves on the back for having enough talent to cook while drunk.
Somehow, no matter what we had in our stores, the result was the same – drunk-approved delicious! We usually made a pasta dish with a jumble of meat, veggies and a little leftover wine tossed in the mix. We’d stuff our faces knowing this was way tastier and better for us than a greasy burrito. Then we’d competitively play cards until one of us couldn’t keep our eyes open any longer.
C&A are expecting their first baby soon and those crazy party Fridays may have become few and far between but that doesn’t mean we can’t still have our drunk pasta and games! The idea of this dish is that you can whip up something from whatever you have hanging around your kitchen. If you don’t have the exact ingredients, just use whatever you have! All you need to do is toss together some meat, veggies, pasta, a can of diced tomatoes and a little leftover wine and you can’t go wrong.
Drunk Pasta
www.barbaracooks.com
Servings: 4 • Size: 1 cup • Weight Watcher Points+: 8
Calories: 315 • Fat: 9g • Carbs: 36g • Fiber: 6g • Protein: 18g
Sugars: 6g • Sodium: 987g • Cholesterol: 34mg
Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 8 ounces sweet Italian turkey sausage (removed from casings, if any)
- 6 crimini mushrooms
- 1 can artichoke hearts, well-drained
- ¼ chopped sundried tomatoes
- 2 Tablespoons sliced black olives
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 4 ounces whole wheat fusilli pasta
- 1 ½ cups baby spinach
- ¼ cup shaved parmesan cheese
Directions:
Fill a large pot with salted water and set on high to boil.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, onions and garlic and sauté until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the turkey sausage and cook, breaking apart, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes.
Slice the mushrooms, drain the artichoke hearts and roughly chop. Add the mushrooms, artichoke hearts, sundried tomatoes, black olives, salt and pepper to the onions and turkey sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, 7 minutes.
Meanwhile, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook 2 minutes less than recommended time, just before pasta is fully cooked. Drain.
Drain the diced tomatoes and add them, the wine and the pasta to the turkey sausage skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Add the spinach and parmesan cheese and toss until the spinach is wilted. Serve topped with a little more shaved parmesan.
LOVE the story behind the pasta!
Haha – yeah me too 😉
Explain to me the concept of “leftover” wine! 🙂
Haha, Marifran! Well, perhaps it was just a bottle in progress…
Looks good Barbara! I also find pasta dishes comforting. Usually I’ll make my mom’s tomato sauce with sausage or meatballs.
Thanks, Brandon!
I like the sound of drunk pasta! Sounds yummy and what fun times! 🙂
Thanks, Puja. They definitely were really fun times 🙂