For
my birthday I wanted to do a cooking class with some friends. My friends
Rachael and Heather did all the planning and it turned it so fun! We had
a signature cocktail, a few appetizers and then we made a salad and a pasta
dish for the main course and Heather did an ice cream sundae bar for dessert.
It was a great night! I
picked the main entree which was Ina Garten’s rigatoni with sausage and fennel.
We had the party/class at
Heather’s House. She is an amazing cook and has the best house for
parties.
Every party needs a signature
drink so Rachael made a signature cocktail for me. It was a Rasberry
Cosmo. She made it with fresh raspberry purée, vodka and raspberry liquor.
It was honestly so fun to get
together and cook with my friends. I really love doing that.
Everyone pitched in and helped with the cooking. We made a citrus
and beet salad and the rigatoni together.
And of course we took lots and
lots of pictures.
For dessert Heather had a
sundae bar including homemade lemon sorbet. She gave me the recipe for
the sorbet and I am going to make it soon. It was so delicious!
Here is the pasta recipe we made
Rigatoni with sausage and
fennel
3 tablespoons good olive oil
3 cups chopped fennel (1 large
bulb)
1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
1 1/4 pounds sweet Italian
sausages, casings removed
2 teaspoons minced garlic (2
cloves)
1/2 teaspoon whole fennel
seeds, crushed with a mortar and pestle
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
flakes
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup half-and-half
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 pound rigatoni
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
leaves
1 cup freshly grated Italian
Parmesan cheese, divided
Heat the olive oil in a large
heavy pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset, over medium heat. Add the fennel
and onion and saute for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the
sausage and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, crumbling it with a fork, until nicely
browned. Add the garlic, crushed fennel seeds, red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons
salt, and 1 teaspoon black pepper and cook for one minute. Pour in the wine,
bring to a boil, and add the heavy cream, half-and-half, and tomato paste.
Bring back to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the
sauce has thickened.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of
water to a boil, add 2 tablespoons salt, and cook the rigatoni according to the
directions on the package. Drain and add to the sauce, stirring to coat the
pasta. Cook over low heat for 5 minutes to allow the pasta to absorb the sauce.
Off the heat, stir in the parsley and 1/2 cup of the Parmesan. Serve hot in
shallow bowls with the remaining 1/2 cup Parmesan on the side.
The party was perfect.
Heather was a great teacher and it was so fun to cook together. This
cooking party was a fabulous way to celebrate turning 42!
Xoxo
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