pasta alla vodka with turkey sausage

1 pound fettuccine or other favorite pasta

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 shallots, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes

1 28 ounce can whole, peeled tomatoes, crushed with hands

½ cup good vodka

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 pound turkey sausage, casings removed

Salt to taste

Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add sausage. Rotate the sausage frequently to make sure all sides are brown. Cook for about 8 minutes total, or until sausage is brown on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Meanwhile, cook pasta according package directions {I used fresh pasta so the cooking time was only about 3-4 minutes}. Reserve about ½ cup pasta water in case you need to loosen the sauce at the end. Heat about 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil in the same skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes. Add garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Remove skillet from heat and add crushed tomatoes, vodka and salt to taste. Stir to combine and place back on heat. Cook for about 8-9 minutes to allow the vodka to burn off. Add the heavy cream and stir to combine. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until the sauce becomes thick. Add the sausage and stir in the pasta. If the sauce is too thick, you can add some of the reserve pasta water. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Happy Friday! Today I am sharing one of my favorite pasta sauces: vodka sauce. You can get some pretty good canned vodka sauces at the grocery store, but if you have the time {not much is needed!} it’s always good to make it from scratch. This is my go-to vodka sauce recipe and depending on the season and my mood, I like to incorporate other vegetables or meats for some variety. You may remember this sauce from a previous post when I added prosciutto and peas {click here}. This is such a great base sauce — I love the chunky tomatoes and the small amount of heat that comes from the red pepper flakes 🙂 

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

potato + leek + prosciutto pizza

3-4 medium-sized redskin potatoes, paper-thin sliced

2 medium-sized leeks, cleaned well & thinly sliced

1/3 pound prosciutto, diced

Fresh mozzarella {I used about 6 thin slices}

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

1/3 cup grated Parmesan

Store-bought pizza dough

Olive oil

Salt and pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees {or the recommended temperature on your store-bought pizza dough}. In a medium-sized skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat; add diced prosciutto. Cook until the prosciutto is crispy, about 3-5 minutes. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate. In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil {or if there is enough grease left over from the prosciutto, you won’t need any olive oil} and add leeks. Cook until soft, about 3-4 minutes. Spray pizza pan with cooking spray and stretch out the dough. Drizzle a little olive oil over the crust. To assemble the pizza: arrange the potato slices in a single layer all over the crust, overlapping just slightly. Sprinkle potatoes with a little salt. Lay the mozzarella slices on top of the potatoes in a single layer, followed by the leeks. Sprinkle the prosciutto on top followed by the crumbled goat cheese and grated Parmesan cheese. Finally, sprinkle the entire pizza with ground pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese begins to bubble.

By now, I’m sure you are well acquainted with my love for pizza. Fall pizzas are probably one of my favorite to make because there are so many delicious ingredients to incorporate. This particular pizza is my version of the Pioneer Woman’s Potato-Leek Pizza {the Pioneer Woman is my favorite Food Network star — she has such simple, yet delicious recipes!}. I’ve always been a fan of the potato-leek combination, especially in the soup version; it’s the perfect comfort food on a cold, fall day. In the Pioneer Woman’s recipe, she uses bacon. I’m not a huge fan of bacon, but I knew that the potatoes and leeks needed something salty to compliment the flavors. I decided to go with something similar to bacon, but more tolerable to my palate: prosciutto. This was such a fabulous fall pizza, I will definitely be making this again before fall is over! 
P.S. See more of my fall pizzas below!

chicken pot pie {in a pumpkin}

2 pie pumpkins

1 rotisserie chicken {I only used the white meat}, diced

1 onion, chopped

8 ounces mushrooms {I used a mix of crimini, shiitake & oyster mushrooms}

16 ounce bag frozen peas and carrots

1/4 cup flour

2 cups chicken broth {I used no salt added}

1 cup heavy cream

1 puff pastry sheet, divided

 1 egg, beaten

1/2 tablespoon thyme

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wash and cut off top of each pumpkin. Scoop all the seeds out and discard {or roast!}. Pour about 1 tablespoon olive oil in each pumpkin and season with salt and pepper; rub the oil and salt and pepper around to completely cover the inside of the pumpkin. Place on baking sheet and cook for 40 minutes until tender. Meanwhile, begin to make the filling. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and the mushrooms. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the frozen peas and carrots and diced chicken. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the vegetables and stir for a couple of minutes. Pour in the chicken broth, stirring constantly. Once the flour and broth combine to form a gravy, pour in the heavy cream and stir to combine. Decrease the heat to low and allow the mixture to cook for 3-5 minutes. Add thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Once the pumpkins have cooked, spoon the chicken mixture into the pumpkins, filling almost to the top. Divide the thawed puff pastry into two sections. Be sure the thickness is about 1 inch. Place over each pumpkin, try pulling the puff pastry in the center to form a stem {mine was not too successful 🙁 you have to work quick with the puff pastry and mine was drying out!} Brush puff pastry with beaten egg. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the puff pastry is golden brown. Makes 2 pot pies.

A few more pictures 🙂

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, I teased about this recipe last Saturday and said to stay tuned 🙂 Well, here is the finished product! This is by far my favorite fall recipe to make. My mom has been making these chicken pot pies in a pumpkin for years now and it’s something I have always looked forward to each year. In my mind, this is the perfect fall dinner — stuffing a pumpkin with a comfort food…how can you go wrong?! I use the little pumpkins that are used to make pumpkin pies. They can be found at most grocery stores for a reasonable price {I paid $1.99 each for mine!}. As for the filling, you can really use any vegetables you would like, celery is also a popular ingredient in a pot pie, but I liked the flavor of the mushrooms. This is such a warm and cozy dish, it’s a must try for a cool and crisp fall weekend. 

Thanks for stopping by!

buffalo tofu sandwiches

14 ounces extra-firm tofu {1 block}
2 cups panko
1/2 cup milk {I used low fat}
1/2 – 1 cup cayenne pepper sauce {I used Frank’s Red Hot Sauce}
Tomatoes, sliced
Red onion, sliced
Ranch dressing {I used low fat}
Rolls
Non-stick cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain and press the tofu dry with a paper towel. Slice the tofu into four square pieces. Place the milk in a shallow bowl and the panko on a plate. Carefully soak the tofu in the milk and transfer to the panko, pressing the panko into the tofu on each side. {I tried to use tongs for this step and the tofu started to break apart, so I would just use your hands!} Place each piece of tofu on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Cook for 15 minutes, flip the tofu and cook for another 15 minutes. After the 30 minutes of cooking at 350 degrees, increase the oven temperature to 450 degrees. Cook for 3-5 minutes and flip the tofu again, cooking for another 3-5 minutes, until each side is crispy. Meanwhile, place the cayenne pepper sauce in a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 15 seconds, or just until warm. Brush each side of the cooked tofu with the pepper sauce. To assemble the sandwiches: toast the bun, cut side up for 2-3 minutes in the 450 degree oven, or until just golden brown. Place the buffalo tofu on the bottom half and top with tomatoes, red onions and ranch dressing. Makes 4 sandwiches.

Buffalo Chicken Sandwiches. One of my favorite “not-so-healthy” foods. I was really craving this delicious sandwich, but I just couldn’t justify the calories in the fried chicken soaked in buffalo sauce and ranch. I thought, there must be a way to make this a little healthier, without losing that famous crispiness. A few month ago, I made a tofu “chicken” parmesan sandwich {here}. It was unreal. But, I still used an egg to make the breading — which isn’t the best of ingredients. This time, I tried soaking the tofu in milk {low fat!} and then panko {you do have to press the panko into the tofu to make it stick}. I think this substitution worked perfectly!

Overall, this much healthier version of the buffalo chicken sandwich was amazing! You honestly cannot tell that you are eating anything but chicken, especially tofu! This was the perfect dish to satisfy a craving for an unhealthy meal — and to be honest, now I’m craving this tofu version 🙂 

Thanks for reading!

simple pumpkin muffins with vanilla glaze

easy-pumpkin-muffin-recipe
As I mentioned in Tuesday’s post {here}, I have been obsessing over pumpkin lately. I’m continuing this obsession today by sharing my favorite, go-to pumpkin muffin recipe. The muffin itself consists of three ingredients. Yes, only three. Can you believe that?! I’ve been making these simple muffins for a few years now, but decided I needed to add something to spice them up. I began to think, “what goes with pumpkin?” I instantly thought of the usual cream cheese frosting {which personally, I’m not a huge fan of} but I thought that was too common and too heavy for these muffins. I wanted something that was light but still enhanced the flavor of the muffin. A glaze matches this description perfectly! This was the perfect addition to an already amazing muffin. But the real “icing on the cake” is the ease of this recipe 😉

Simple Pumpkin Muffins with Vanilla Glaze

{what you will need}

1 15 ounce can pumpkin


1 vanilla cake mix {I used Duncan Hines}
A few tablespoons milk {I used about 2 tablespoons}

For the glaze:
1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract



{directions}

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake wrappers in cupcake pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and can of pumpkin. Stir very well {it will be thick}. Add a few tablespoons of milk to help with the consistency. Fill each cupcake wrapper about 3/4 full. Take the back of a spoon to round the tops of each muffin {the batter does not settle much during baking}. Bake for 15-17 minutes, until the tops of the muffins just begin to brown. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and transfer to cooling rack to cool completely.



Glaze: pour the milk into the confectioners’ sugar and mix well. Add the vanilla extract and stir to combine. Once the muffins have cooled completely, spoon the icing over each muffin covering all sides. Makes 12 muffins.

pumpkin x kale lasagna

1 yellow onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 cups kale, stems removed

10-12 sage leaves, chopped

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 15 ounce cans pure pumpkin

1 pint heavy cream

1 1/2 cups grated Parmesan cheese

9 oven ready lasagna

1/2 – 1 cup ricotta cheese {I used low-fat}

4 tablespoons butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a large skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium and add the garlic, sage and kale; season with the nutmeg and salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes until the kale is wilted and the onions are fragrant. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the pumpkin, cream and 1 cup of Parmesan cheese; season with salt and pepper. In a baking dish that has been sprayed with cooking spray, place a layer of lasagna on the bottom {I used 3}. Place a few dollops of ricotta on top of the lasagna and spread with a knife. Top with the kale and onion mixture followed by almost half of the pumpkin mixture. Top with another layer of lasagna followed by the ricotta. Repeat with the remaining onion mixture and all but 1 cup of the pumpkin mixture. Top with the remaining lasagna, pumpkin mixture and Parmesan cheese. Cut the last tablespoon of butter into tiny pieces and sprinkle on top of the casserole. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes.

Lately, I have had pumpkin on my mind. Whether it is pumpkin coffee, pumpkin bagels, pumpkin muffins {check back on Thursday!} I just can’t get enough pumpkin. I really wanted to try incorporating pumpkin into a main dish and make it more savory instead of sweet. I instantly thought of one of my favorite dishes, lasagna. And what green, fall vegetable goes perfectly with pumpkin? Kale! If you have been following A Blonde’s Moment, you know I love cooking and experimenting with kale. And I think kale works so wonderfully with the pumpkin in this lasagna. This is definitely a rich dish, but so perfect for cool fall evenings.  Give this savory pumpkin dish a try and stay tuned as I continue with another favorite pumpkin recipe on Thursday!

Thanks for reading!

butternut squash + sage fettuccine

butternut-squash-pasta-recipe
This recipe combines two of my favorite things in the cooking world: fall squash and purees. I always get so excited for squash {especially butternut + spaghetti squashes} and coming up with new ways to use these delicious vegetables. If you don’t believe my love for squash, we are having squash twice this week for dinner…I just can’t get enough of it 🙂 I am also a huge fan of purees. I love that you can cook everything in a skillet, throw it in the blender and have your own sauce or soup. It’s so easy and so much healthier than buying packaged sauces and soups. And there are few better combinations than butternut squash and sage…they just go together! Happy cooking!

Butternut Squash & Sage Fettuccine

{what you will need}
1 medium butternut squash {peeled, seeded & chopped}
1 yellow onion, chopped
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups vegetable broth {I used no-salt added}
10-12 sage leaves, chopped
1 pound fettuccine {I used fresh pasta}
Red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil


{directions}
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and add the sage. Allow the sage to get crispy, about 3-4 minutes and transfer to a small bowl; season with salt. Add the butternut squash, onion, garlic and a pinch of red pepper flakes to the large skillet; season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add the vegetable broth. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer until the squash is soft; about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water. Once squash mixture is finished cooking, allow to cool for a few minutes before transferring to a blender. Puree until smooth; season with salt and pepper if desired. Transfer the puree back to the skillet and add the cooked pasta; gradually add the reserved pasta water, 1/4 cup at a time; stir to allow the sauce to cover the pasta. Garnish each dish with the crispy sage.

slow cooker chicken parmesan sandwiches

This is such a delicious and easy way to enjoy a chicken parmesan sandwich without feeling guilty for consuming a ton of calories. Dinners in the slow cooker are always a favorite of mine and this did not disappoint! I ran a race on Sunday and standing in the kitchen, cooking a complicated dinner was the last thing I wanted to do. This was so easy to throw together in the late morning after the race and four hours later, dinner was ready! This is the perfect recipe for a weeknight, weekend or even a football gameday! Enjoy 🙂

slow-cooker-chicken-parmesan-sandwich
Slow Cooker Chicken Parmesan Sandwiches

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1 29-ounce can tomato puree
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes
2 6-ounce cans tomato paste
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary {you can also decrease to 1/2 tablespoon, I just love rosemary}
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 tablespoon parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Rolls or buns
Cooking spray

Spray the slow cooker with cooking spray. Place the tomato puree, diced tomatoes and tomato paste in the slow cooker; stir to combine. Add the onion, garlic and spices. Place chicken on top; season chicken with salt and pepper. Cook on high for 4-6 hours. Once chicken is done, shred the chicken with two forks; stir to combine the shredded chicken with the tomato sauce in the slow cooker. To assemble the sandwiches: turn on the broiler. On one side of the bun or roll, place a spoonful of the chicken, top with about 2 tablespoons mozzarella cheese {you can also use slices of mozzarella or provolone}. Place both sides of the roll or bun on a baking sheet under the broiler for about 2 minutes or until the cheese begins to melt.

roasted fall vegetable pizza

roasted-vegetable-pizza

As I’m sure you know by now, pizza is a weekly staple in our house. And it’s not just regular pizza. I love coming up with new ideas for toppings. Now that fall is in full swing, a whole new section of vegetables are available at the grocery store. Two weeks ago, I made a roasted butternut squash and kale pizza that was absolutely delicious {post here}. This time, I wanted to incorporate the butternut squash again, but add more vegetables — more specifically, fall vegetables. The red onion, carrots and baby potatoes were the perfect combination for this pizza. And there is something SO delicious about adding ricotta to the top of a pizza!! Thanks for reading!



Roasted Fall Vegetable Pizza

{what you will need}
1/2 medium-sized red onion, sliced into bite-sized chunks
1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded & diced
10-15 baby medley potatoes, quartered {I used these}
3-4 carrots, chopped
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 – 2 tablespoons basil pesto
4 tablespoons ricotta cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Pizza dough
Salt and pepper

{directions}
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Spray a rimmed sheet pan with cooking spray. Place the red onion, butternut squash, potatoes and carrots in a large bowl and toss with 3-4 tablespoons olive oil and salt and pepper. Transfer the vegetable mixture to the baking sheet and spread evenly into one layer. Roast for 30 minutes, turning with a spatula once at the 15 minute mark. To assemble the pizza: spread a thin layer of basil pesto on the pizza dough and place in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with the shredded mozzarella cheese and roasted vegetable mixture. Finish with a few tablespoon dollops of ricotta cheese and top with Parmesan cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes until the crust is golden brown and the cheese begins to melt.

spinach, mushroom + sun-dried tomato quesadillas

As I mentioned last week {here}, I have really been obsessing over quesadillas as of late. It’s so fun to come up with new and interesting combinations, and I am loving this one! Spinach and mushrooms are always a good combination, but instead of using regular tomatoes {which would be just as good!} I thought I would use sun-dried tomatoes. I don’t use sun-dried tomatoes often {mainly because they are packed in oil} but if you are able to get the majority of the oil off, they add a great kick to any dish! And, instead of the traditional cheddar or mozzarella cheese, I went with goat cheese — an unusual cheese to compliment the sun-dried tomatoes! Happy cooking!

spinach-mushroom-sun-dried-tomato-quesadillas

Spinach, Mushroom + Sun-dried Tomato Quesadillas


6 ounces fresh spinach
16 ounces sliced mushrooms {I used baby bella}
8-10 sun-dried tomatoes from a 10 ounce jar, chopped {I used these}
4 ounces goat cheese
4 10-inch flour tortillas
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil
Cooking spray

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat; add the mushrooms, stirring occasionally. Cook for about 7 minutes and add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes. Cook for another 3-4 minutes until most of the water from the mushrooms is absorbed. Add the spinach; cook until the spinach begins to wilt and remove from the heat. Leaving the cook top on, place a clean skillet on the same burner you used to cook the mushroom and spinach mixture. Spray the clean skillet with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in the skillet and spread about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons goat cheese over the entire tortilla. Take a spoonful of the spinach and mushroom mixture and place on one half of the tortilla. Once the cheese begins to melt, fold the tortilla in half. Remove the quesadilla and transfer to a cutting board; cut into wedges. Wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel and repeat this process. Keep finished quesadillas in the warm oven on a baking sheet.