Italian Inspired Dinner

Tonight we had our friends, Matt & Megan, join us for dinner. I kept going back and forth trying to figure out what to prepare. I initially thought of a BBQ inspired dinner, but realized with the Labor Day holiday coming up, it would be better to make some BBQ fare then. I also had to figure out a menu that I could prepare in advance (or at least partially) so that I wouldn’t be crunched with time after a day at work.

I decided to prepare the following Italian inspired meal. I made the soup in advance, marinated the pork chops over night, and baked the tart shells and prepared the lemon curd last night… leaving me to make the rest right after work in 1 hr and 30 mins before my guests arrived. Did I make it in time? Yes! I even had time to clean up so when my guests arrived, my kitchen was as close to spotless as possible. (It’s a habit of mine that I take after my mom – I hate having anything dirty or cluttered in or on my kitchen counters/sink when I have people over. Everything is wiped down, sanitized and clear of clutter.) Here’s what I prepared along with links to the recipes…