Arrabiatta Sauce

Goodness, I haven't posted any recipes in a while.

This is an easy pasta sauce that goes great with penne or rigatoni, although I've been using it with whole wheat linguine.

Arrabiatta Sauce
2 T. olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
48 oz. crushed tomatoes
2 T. capers, drained and rinsed
1/4 c. kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 T. crushed red pepper
1 t. sea salt

In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over med high heat. Sautee the onion and garlic for five minutes. Add the olives, capers, salt, and red pepper. Sautee, stirring constantly, for three minutes. Reduce heat. Add the crushed tomatoes and salt, simmering for 20 minutes until reduced slightly. Serve with grated pecorino-romano cheese.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Last night the BF & I made dinner, and I made some of the best mashed potatoes I've ever had. This recipe is a bastardized version of a recipe by Giada de Laurentiis. If you can't find Klondike Rose potatoes at your grocery store, use Yukon Gold potatoes - they mash up with a creamier texture than russets.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes
2 lbs Klondike Rose potatoes, scrubbed and quartered
2 heads garlic, split in half
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
heavy whipping cream
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the garlic on a pie plate and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes. After roasting, squeeze the garlic out of the peels, and mash in a small bowl with a fork.

In a stockpot, place the potatoes and fill with water until potatoes are covered. Boil potatoes for 20 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain potatoes and return to low heat, stirring gently to dehydrate. Mash with a potato masher, adding the garlic and cheese. Add more olive oil if you'd like. Add cream until potatoes reach desired consistency (I used 1/2 cup). Season with salt, pepper, and parsley.