Pasta Puttanesca

I make a lot of one-pot concoctions with pasta and tomatoes. I heard this one mentioned in a book and when I looked it up, I learned that Pasta Puttanesca is Italian for "Whore's Pasta" . For that reason, and because I love salty foods, I decided to try it. I thought it was delicious, but it was a little too salty for Ben.

Ingredients

8 ounces pasta
3 Tbs cup olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes, pushed through a sieve
4 anchovy filets, rinsed and chopped
3 Tbs capers
20 Greek olives, pitted and coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
salt and pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.

2. Heat oil in a skillet over low heat; cook garlic in oil until golden. Add sieved tomatoes, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in anchovies, capers, olives, and red pepper flakes. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Toss pasta with sauce, and serve.

Cheese Ravioli with Crabmeat Cream Sauce

I borrowed this recipe from my brother-in-law's brother's website, Mr. Mom Cooks. It was really delicious, and I even used the leftover sauce to make a sort of Crab Eggs Benedict the next morning. I added some chopped red peppers with the butter and shallot when I made it, just to get some extra veggies into our diet.

Ingredients:

1 Dozen Fresh Cheese Ravioli
1/2 Shallot, chopped
2.5 oz unsalted butter
6 oz heavy cream
3 oz tomato sauce
1/2 tsp oregano
1/8 tsp sugar
2.5 oz can of lump crabmeat
Fresh Crusty Bread

Directions:
This is quick and easy and should take 20-30 minutes depending on how thick you like the crab cream sauce.

Boil ravioli until about a minute before they are done. Arrange on a platter so they don't stick together.

Put butter and shallot into the pan on med heat. Cook until shallot is soft. Add crabmeat and cook for a few more minutes. Add oregano and sugar to tomato sauce. Add heavy cream and tomato sauce to the pan. Reduce (stir) the sauce until your desired consistency. I like it thicker so it takes about 20 minutes of stirring. Pour the hot crab cream sauce over the ravioli and have at it.