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• Chef Harry’s Valentine Pasta A La Vodka!

• Pasta A La Vodka

  1/2 stick butter
  1 clove garlic, chopped
  1 small sweet onion, minced
  2 cups organic tomato basil sauce
  1/3 c. vodka
  1 tsp. dried Italian herb blend
  1/2 c. cream
  1/4 c. chopped fresh basil leaf
  1 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

  1-pound heart shaped pasta (or bow ties if no heart shapes are available), cooked al dente, cooled, tossed with 1 T olive oil

  Fresh Basil leaves and shaved Parmesan for garnish
  Directions:
  Heat the butter in a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat and in it sauté the garlic and onion until golden. Reduce heat to lowest setting and stir in tomato sauce, vodka and dried herbs. Bring to a slow simmer and simmer 5 minutes stirring frequently. Slowly stir in cream, chopped basil and grated Parmesan. Bring back to a slow simmer and stir in pasta. Cook until hot. Serve with fresh basil leaves and shaved Parmesan for garnish. Serves 4.

  May be topped with:

  Grilled shrimp scallops or Lobster

  Chocolate Valentine Cheesecake

  18 Chocolate Vanilla Cream Sandwich Cookies, finely crushed (about 1-1/2 cups)
  2-tablespoons butter, melted
  16 ounces Cream Cheese, softened
  1-cup sour cream
  1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  1 tsp. vanilla extract
  1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa
  4 eggs

  Mix cookie crumbs and butter; press firmly onto bottom and slightly up the sides of pan spring form 9-inch round pan. In a large mixing bowl, beat with an electric hand mixer the cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder until smooth and blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, using low speed after each egg is added. Pour batter over the crust.
  Bake 100 minutes in pre-heated 325-degree oven. Run thin, narrow knife or spatula around rim of pan to loosen cake. Chill several hours or overnight before removing rim of pan. Serves 8. Keep refrigerated. Freezes well.

  Blender Truffles
  1 1/2-cups heavy whipping cream
  8 ounces high quality semi sweet chocolate chips
  2 tablespoons butter
  Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium low heat until bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan and the cream is very hot but not simmering. Place the chocolate chips in a heatproof blender and pour about half of the cream over the chips. Lets stand 20 seconds and blend slowly until smooth. Continue to blend while slowly adding the remaining cream and blend on lowest setting and then add butter. Continue to blend about 2 or 3 minutes or until mixture is very thick. Pour into a rectangular glass baking dish and chill until mixture is hard enough to form small balls. Roll balls and coat as desired from the choices below or your own ideas. Makes about 24 truffles. Keep refrigerated and store in an airtight container.

  For Coating Truffles
  1/2-cup cocoa mixed 1/2-cup confectioner’s sugar
  1 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
  Chocolate jimmies

  For more of Chef Harry’s Recipes, log on to www.chefharry.com