Valentine's Day

I have night class on Tuesday nights, and I don't get out until 8:30. So I told my boyfriend that I wanted to order food from Bellini's (which I will be doing an entry on in the near future) instead of actually going out, because after class I would have needed to shower, do my hair and make up, etc. and it would have been 9:30 or later by the time we made it out to Arthur Ave. to go to a restaurant. He said okay to Bellini's, but instead he surprised me with this...

Clearly this photo has been edited, but the food wasn't photoshopped.
I just wanted to cover up my boyfriend's somewhat messy apartment.

It's homemade penne alla vodka and homemade garlic bread! And when I say homemade garlic bread I mean homemade. He actually spent all day making the dough and baking and making the garlic dipping sauce to put over it. Also on the table is a bottle of [yellow tail] Bubbles Sparkling Rosé Wine. Even though it costs less than $10.00, it's still very good, as are many of the other wines that [yellow tail] has to offer.


*I'm only going to include the recipe for the penna alla vodka, because the goal of this blog was to give recipes for quick and simple dishes that any college student could prepare regardless of previous cooking experience. The garlic bread, while delicious, is very time consuming, and not something that an average college student wants to spend their day preparing.


Ingredients:
1 jar of marinara sauce
1 cup of vodka
1/2 cup of heavy cream
Salt & pepper to taste
Penne pasta


Here's how it's done:
• In a medium sauce pan, combine the marinara sauce and the vodka.
• Bring it to a simmer for about 20 minutes, while stirring sauce throughout that time.
• Add heavy cream to pan and stir. Also add salt & pepper to taste.
• Let sauce simmer for about another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile:

• Bring water to boil in a pot large enough to hold desired amount of pasta.

• Once water is boiled, pour penne in.

• Cook for about 5-8 minutes, or until the pasta is as soft as you'd like it.

• Strain immediately (pasta will continue to cook in the hot water).

And then:

• Once both the penne and the vodka sauce are ready, combine them in the saucepan.

• Stir the penne around the pan to make sure it all gets coated with sauce.

Put all the food on plates, set up your table however you like, and surprise someone you love with this wonderful homemade meal! Put on a favorite TV show or movie while you eat and enjoy :)