If you are ever in need of recipes that are guaranteed winners, look no further than The Pioneer Woman Cooks! The Pioneer Woman is a moniker for Ree Drummond, my favorite blogger and all-around amazing cook! This is where I nabbed this week’s recipe for Penne a la Betsy, or penne with tomato cream sauce. The real reason this recipe earns a place on Bite Me! though, is the addition of fresh herbs like parsley and basil. Though dried herbs and spices are great to have on hand, fresh herbs intensify aromas and complement the already delicious flavors. Go for the real stuff on this one guys!
Penne a la Betsy make a tasty dinner for hungry humans and curious cats!
Another plus: it is really easy! I will link the full recipe to The Pioneer Woman site, but here are a couple of tips from Emily!
1) Make sure you don’t overcook your pasta! “Al dente” pasta is tender but still very much holds its shape. This is the best (and most authentic) way to cook pasta.
2) If you are short on time or cash, go ahead and use pre-cooked, frozen shrimp. They are often on sale and are still delicious! That is what I did.
3) Penne is what the recipe calls for but any tubular-type noodles will do the job. I used rigatone just because I had it on hand.
4) If you are watching your waistline, you can use half and half or milk. Just keep in mind that, as in most things, cutting cals also cuts the rich and delicious sauce’s flavor. Bummer.
5) Finally– keep curious kitties away when you are trying to take pictures!
For the recipe (and for many others) go to The Pioneer Woman’s blog. Here’s the direct link to the recipe!
