Saturday, November 28, 2020

#Pasta cui Vruccoli Ariminata by Denise Swanson

Growing up with an Italian mother there was no way that I wouldn't develop a deep appreciation for pasta.From simple spaghetti with a red gravy to lasagna and every kind in between, I love it!

 Thus, when I found this recipe for a type I had never heard of, I clipped it and put it the menu for the next day. It uses a lot of unusual (at least to me) ingredients like anchovies and raisins. Surprisingly, the broccoli ends up with a taste and texture almost like sausage.




Ingredients

1 lb. broccoli (Although the picture only shows one, I used three smallish crowns)

1 1/8 teaspoon salt, divided

1 ½ teaspoons olive oil

1 sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 tsp. of minced garlic

4 anchovy fillets, rinsed and minced

¼ cup wine (I used Marsala because that was the bottle that was open in my fridge.)

1 teaspoon dry basil

⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

8 oz can of tomato sauce

2 tablespoons golden raisins, soaked in warm water

2 tablespoons pine nuts

Ground pepper to taste

6 ounces penne or ziti

Parmesan cheese

 

Directions

Fill a 3 quart or larger saucepan with 2 quarts of water and bring to a boil. 

Cut the tops off the broccoli and separate into small florets—about the size of your thumb. 







Add the broccoli florets and 1 teaspoon salt to the boiling water. Cook the broccoli 5 minutes. 







Scoop out the broccoli with a slotted spoon and set aside. Reserve the cooking water for your pasta.

Return the broccoli-cooking water to a boil. Add pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. 







Add anchovies and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 

Add wine, basil and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. 







Add tomato sauce and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Add the broccoli and lightly mash with a wooden spoon. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Drain raisins. Add raisins and pine nuts to sauce. Season the sauce with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.





Drain and stir the pasta into the sauce. Cook until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. 







Serve topped with cheese.



 


OUT NOW:  A CALL TO CHARMS (FIRST IN THE FOREVER CHARMED MYSTERY SERIES)






 

AMAZON

BN

KOBO

 

Chocolate, men, and magic. Who can turn down that inheritance?

     If life had gone as she planned, Lexie Green would have been teaching English at a prestigious university, not persuading spoiled, rich women to buy overpriced clothes they didn’t need and often looked ridiculous wearing. Can you say electric yellow see-through skirts and Torn jeans with unfinished hems?    

     Still, although this isn’t the life Lexie would have chosen, all is going well. At least until Lexie is fired and her deranged ex-boyfriend tries to kidnap her.

     Deciding that it’s better to accept a mysterious inheritance from a great aunt she’s never heard of rather than end up kept in a cage as her ex’s pet poodle, Lexie packs up and heads to Kansas. So, what if she has to go by a new name and live in a town that she can’t find on a map?

     Unfortunately, once she arrives in her new hometown, everyone there seems just a tad off-kilter and Lexie’s cousin insists that the citizens are magical. At least there are a couple of hot guys hanging around for eye candy.

     Even though Lexie doesn’t believe the nonsense about her being the Ravenscraft Shield, she does believe her father was murdered—a father she never knew existed, and she investigates his death.

     Too bad, whoever killed her father, now wants Lexie dead as well.    

 

***

OUT NOW: THE NEWEST IN THE WELCOME BACK TO SCUMBLE RIVER SERIES

 


AMAZON


There's something fishy just below the surface of Scumble River...

 

School psychologist Skye Denison-Boyd is getting ready to return to work from her maternity leave and hoping for a peaceful year in her job as a school psychologist. But when an elderly woman disappears on her first day back and a disgruntled parent threatens to sue the school, Skye realizes that her return will be anything but quiet.

 

When the parent suing Skye's school is found dead and with the missing woman's case is still unsolved, Skye suspects the crimes are somehow linked. With her chief of police husband, Wally, at her side, Skye dives into the investigations. But as tensions rise and Skye and Wally's suspect list lengthens, they start to wonder whether a member of their own tight-knit community could be behind it all...


Enjoy the occasional romance?




AMAZON
    BARNES AND NOBLE   KOBO

 


Take one dedicated wildlife veterinarian who treats her animals as if they were her babies, add an impossibly handsome nightclub manager who’s determined to open the hottest spot in Las Vegas, and what do you have? A sweet, sexy romance that proves that no matter how much a man and woman may snarl at the idea of a relationship, love always wins.

 

* * *

 

Marco Thorne was hired by Club Wilde’s owner to open up the newest, most outrageous venue yet. He is absolutely certain that he can handle all the competition Las Vegas has to offer until his overbearing boss contracts with Lions and Tigers and More sanctuary to have live exotic animals present in the jungle-themed club. Still, he has no choice but to go along with his boss’s idiotic scheme, even if he thinks it’s the worst idea he’s ever heard.

 

Dr. Sage DeSantis’s entire life is devoted to keeping the animals under her care in the sanctuary healthy and happy. After the sanctuary’s owner announces that he’s renting out some of Sage’s babies to Club Wilde, she’s sickened that they will once again be exploited.

 

When Marco and Sage meet, the chemistry between them nearly knocks them off their feet. Although they both have experiences in their past that make them leery of love, and Sage is determined to guard her heart, Marco is all in. But will Marco be able to convince Sage to give them a chance?

 

* * *

 

Publisher’s warning: This book contains sensual consummated love scenes.

 

Series description:

 

Second in Denise Swanson’s new Delicious contemporary romance series. All books are complete with no cliffhangers and a guaranteed HEA!

 

Sinfully Delicious is available now!

 

Undeniably Delicious is coming in 2021!

Out Now!



Once again, it looks like Dani Sloan will get a slice of the action...

 

In the small town of Normalton, IL, there aren't a lot of opportunities for small business owner Dani Sloan to cater big-ticket events. But that's about to change—a client named Yvette Joubert is marrying Franklin Whittaker, the richest guy around, and they want Dani to cater their engagement party! The swanky event is the perfect opportunity to put Dani on the map for wealthier clients.

 

But when a storm hits the party after guests arrive, it becomes clear that more than the dinner is ruined: Yvette is found dead beneath the marquee. Is her death a tragic accident, or a perfectly orchestrated murder? Then the case gets even juicier—it turns out that Yvette's ex-husband is Spencer Drake, Dani's almost-boyfriend, and the police start circling. Now Dani must follow an unending list of clues to save her business, her better half, and catch a criminal. Let's just hope they get their just desserts!

AMAZON

 

 

 

 

 

For more information, please visit www.DeniseSwanson.com
Catch up with me on 
FACEBOOK

 

 

 


4 comments:

  1. I wondered if this might be a Sicilian dish--because of the raisins--so I looked it up and it is. (My grandfather was Sicilian.) My grandmother always put raisins in her braciole because it was my grandfather's recipe. I've never had this but look forward to trying it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. My mom's family is from northern Italy so this was new to me.

      Delete
  2. What an unexpected combination of ingredients.
    How was the taste? Can you recognize the anchovies and the raisins?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The raisins yes, the anchovies not so much. I think they just add a little saltiness.

      Delete