Skillet Penne with Sausage and Spinach and Greek Cherry Tomato Salad

My friend Lauren just introduced me to Cooks Illustrated. I know they have a written publication, but she clued me into the website. I think I'm in love. I know I'll continue to use allrecipes.com, but it will be nice to have another option. The nice change about cooks illustrated is that it does NOT have reviews. The recipes have already been perfected by their experts. They also include some possible substitutions, and videos to demonstrate techniques. It does cost $14.95 a year, but I think I'll get my money's worth out of it. Here are the recipes I'm using today:



Skillet Penne with Sausage and Spinach (directly from cooksillustrated.com)

Use either hot or sweet Italian-style turkey (or chicken) sausage here. Pork sausage can be substituted, but you will have to drain off the extra fat before adding the pasta. When you are adding the spinach, it may seem like a lot at first, but it wilts down substantially. Ziti can also be used here.

Ingredients

1	tablespoon olive oil
1	pound hot or sweet Italian turkey sausage , casings removed
3	cloves minced garlic
2 1/4	cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 1/4	cups water
8	ounces penne pasta (2 1/2 cups)
1/2	cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes , rinsed and chopped fine
	Table salt and ground black pepper
1	(6-ounce) bag baby spinach
1/2	cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4	cup pine nuts , toasted

Instructions

1. Brown Sausage: Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Simmer Penne: Stir in broth, water, penne, tomatoes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring often, until penne is tender and liquid has thickened, 15 to 18 minutes.

3. Wilt Spinach: Stir in spinach, handful at time, and cook until wilted. Off heat, stir in Parmesan and nuts. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.

Greek Cherry Tomato Salad (I used grape tomatoes)

Serves 4 to 6. Published July 1, 2008. From Cook's Illustrated.

If in-season cherry tomatoes are unavailable, substitute vine-ripened cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes from the supermarket. Cut grape tomatoes in half along the equator (rather than quartering them). If you don’t have a salad spinner, after the salted tomatoes have stood for 30 minutes, wrap the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and gently shake to remove seeds and excess liquid. Strain the liquid and proceed with the recipe as directed. The amount of liquid given off by the tomatoes will depend on their ripeness. If you have less than 1/2 cup of juice after spinning, proceed with the recipe using the entire amount of juice and reduce it to 3 tablespoons as directed (the cooking time will be shorter).

Ingredients

2	pints cherry tomatoes , ripe, quartered (about 4 cups) (see note)
	Table salt
1/2	teaspoon sugar
2	medium garlic cloves , minced or pressed through garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2	teaspoon dried oregano
1	medium shallot , minced (about 3 tablespoons)
1	tablespoon red wine vinegar
2	tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
	Ground black pepper
1	small cucumber , peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1/2	cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
4	ounces feta cheese , crumbled (about 1 cup)
3	tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

Instructions

1. Toss tomatoes, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and sugar in medium bowl; let stand for 30 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to salad spinner and spin until seeds and excess liquid have been removed, 45 to 60 seconds, stirring to redistribute tomatoes several times during spinning. Return tomatoes to bowl and set aside. Strain tomato liquid through fine-mesh strainer into liquid measuring cup, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible.

2. Bring 1/2 cup tomato liquid (discard any extra), garlic, oregano, shallot, and vinegar to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat. Simmer until reduced to 3 tablespoons, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer mixture to small bowl and cool to room temperature, about 5 minutes. Whisk in oil and pepper to taste until combined. Taste and season with up to 1/8 teaspoon table salt.

3. Add cucumber, olives, feta, dressing, and parsley to bowl with tomatoes; toss gently and serve.

The result: both of these dishes were insanely good! There isn't anything that I will change for next time. The tomato salad was a bit more labor intensive than I would have expected, but the wonderful flavor was worth it. I halved the tomato salad recipe b/c I only had a pint of tomatoes (from my backyard :o).

And if anyone is noticing a trend....yes, I'm drawn to "one dish wonders". That is, dishes that have meat/starch/veggie all in one. I just love knowing that all I have to think about is MAYBE a salad to add to it- and that's optional. The salad today was actually where most of the prep work was needed.