Lemon Basil Penne Medley

How is it that you feel like you need a vacation after every vacation??? From the moment we got back from our holiday travels all Ben and I have wanted to do was go on a date night. It didn't help that we spent our 10 year anniversary driving to Utah. Once we opened up a couple of restaurant gift cards for Christmas, we knew exactly how we were going to celebrate once we returned home. Free dinner! Can't beat that.

The weekend we got home we hit the town and went to one of our favorite restaurants (thank you Grandma Sawyer) and ordered our favorite meal, Steak Bryan. The. Best. On our way out we were raving to the hostess about how excellent the food was and she told us the sauce was so easy to make. Lots and lots of butter, lemon juice, garlic, basil and white wine. She had me lost at the "lots and lots of butter" but I figured I'd give a copycat recipe a go.

What happened tasted nothing like our divine dinner, however it was just as spectacular. From a delicious Steak Bryan came this zesty Lemon Basil Penne Medley, proof that sometimes it's a blessing when things don't quite turn out the way you planned.

 

This whole grain penne pasta is tossed with a tangy lemon basil sauce that lightly coats each little ridge. If that isn't lovely enough, I also mixed in freshly chopped basil, sweet salad tomatoes, tangy sundried tomatoes and real mozzarella chunks. And what isn't better than some shaved Parmesan cheese on top? Yes, a true pasta medley!

 

Lemon Basil Penne Medley*

 

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 cup chicken broth

2 teaspoons cornstarch

1/4 cup lemon juice (about 3-4 lemons)

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil, plus 2 tablespoons for garnish

1 1/2 cups snacking salad tomatoes, halved

*12 oz. whole grain Penne pasta (choose gluten free for a gluten free meal)

8 oz. fresh mozarella

1/4 cup sundried tomatoes (I use the ones not packed in oil)

Grated or shaved Parmesan cheese for garnishing

 

Directions:

1. Begin boiling salted water for pasta. As water is heating, prepare ingredients by slicing tomatoes in half, chopping the basil and cubing the mozzarella into 1/4" cubes. Squeeze out lemon juice making sure to discard all seeds. Finely chop your garlic cloves.

 

2. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package directions. As pasta is cooking melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Once butter has melted add in garlic. Stir continuously for 1 minute until garlic is fragrant.

 

3. In a small bowl or measuring dish, add cornstarch to the chicken broth. Stir until dissolved. Add chicken broth mixture, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and sugar to saucepan. Bring to a light simmer and stir continuously until sauce begins to thicken, about 3-5 minutes. Add chopped basil and stir 2 minutes more. Add 2/3 of the sliced salad tomatoes and stir 2 minutes more.

 

4. At this point your pasta should be cooked. Drain pasta and set aside. Remove sauce pan from heat and immediately toss in warm penne, mozzarella chunks, remaining salad tomatoes, and sundried tomatoes. Stir to coat all pasta.

 

5. Garnish with 2 tablespoons chopped parsley and freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

 

Serves 6