One Perfect Meal

I'm simply here to say, last night dinner nearly killed us it was so good.

There are times when the food is good, and the wine is good, and together they're pretty good. But last night, I'm saying everything worked. The pasta might not look like much in the picture, but it was really, really yummy. And we picked a cheap red from our wine cellar to go with it, but it ended up being one of the best $10 wines we've ever had. It was like a mini mid-week vacation without the hotel bill.

So we're HIGHLY recommending this combination, or its parts.

The pasta recipe came from Giada DeLaurentiis, Giada's Family Dinners, and we made a half recipe. The trick is the frozen artichokes; they don't fall apart like the canned ones. We found Bird's Eye in the frozen section. And the sun-dried tomatoes we used were not oil-packed; I found some in a zip-bag that were super moist on their own so no extra oil was needed. However, I cut them up and tossed them with some oil and water just in case. I also used fresh olive oil to cook the sausage, and drained almost all of it off to cook the artichokes. I also could have done without the mozzarella just fine.

Penne with Sausage, Artichokes and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

¾ c drained oil-packed sun dried tomatoes, sliced, 2 T oil reserved
1 lb Italian hot sausages, casings removed
2 (8oz) pkgs frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1 ¾ c reduced-sodium chicken broth
½ c dry white wine
Salt
12 oz penne
½ c freshly shredded parmesan cheese
1/3 c chopped fresh basil
¼ c chopped fresh parsley
8 oz fresh mozzarella, drained and cubed (optional)

Heat the oil reserved from the tomatoes (or not) in a large heavy frying pan over medium high heat. Add the sausage and cook until brown, breaking up the meat into bite-sized pieces, about 8 minutes. Transfer and drain the sausage to another bowl.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted, boiling water until al dente. Add the artichokes and garlic to the pan and sauté over medium heat till the garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, and tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce is reduced slightly, about 8 minutes. This is also a good time to cube up the mozzarella (if using), place it on a plate in an even layer, and pop it in the freezer. It only needs about 8 minutes in there.
Drain the pasta and add it to the artichokes, along with the sausage, ½ c of the parmesan cheese, basil and parsley. Toss until the sauce is almost absorbed. Take off the heat before you stir in the mozzarella (from the freezer, remember?), season with salt and pepper and serve.

The wine was from Taurino, Salice Salentino Rosso Riserva 2001, from the heel of Italy. And no lie, it was under $10. The grapes are Negroamaro and Malvasia Nera, totally new to us. First taste was almost like cherry Kool-Aid, with such a strong berry flavor lasting till the end. The wine got even better with the pasta dish, and the food was even better with the wine. It was like a great marriage. We're really grateful God made grapes like this. The wine was purchased at http://www.sherry-lehman.com/ and they still have it, I think.