Grilled Sausage over Basil & Honey Ricotta with Pignolis atop Crostini

          Hey there everyone! Been a while, I know. I don’t have many excuses except that it is Holiday time and I had the Flu, Bronchitis and a Sinus Infection last week. Enough said, right!?? I don’t think I have cooked anything in over two weeks…..wimper wimper….

            Thank goodness for Hubby though. He kept me well-rested and well-fed. He did have some help from Livoti’s, our local Italian market, but he still gets all the credit for making many snacks, side dishes and his 4 course Christmas Feast for us. He is a gem, isn’t he?!? Except for when he kicked my booty in Words with Friends each day and refusing to sleep in the same bed as me all week!

Hubby to the Rescue!!!!

Our Little Christmas Feast for Two...with my medicines in background!

 

            But enough about that….here’s to coming back and giving you something new to chew on. I might not be back this week again but I hope I’ll have some time in the next few weeks to share more with you soon. I made this recipe on Thanksgiving and boy, it was a wham bam homerun. The ricotta was good enough just to schmear on some crusty bread, but I figured adding sweet sausage would round it out nicely.  

            And even better for now, it is almost New Year’s Eve and who doesn’t like tasty little bites at the party? So go ahead, I say make this appetizer, sneak a bite yourself, ring in the New Year and oh yeah, make sure you wash your hands! Enjoy!

Grilled Sausage over Basil & Honey Ricotta with Toasted Pignolis atop Crostini

Serves: 10-15 people

OBJ: TCW be able to incorporate her kitchen mixing skills with her Hubby’s grilling skills into 1 crowd-pleasing appetizer

Ingredients:

1, 15 ounce, whole milk ricotta cheese

3 – 4 TBS honey

10-12 fresh basil leaves, thinly shopped

¼ C pignoli nuts, toasted and cooled

S & P: salt and pepper, to taste

1 sweet sausage ring- grilled and sliced into 1 inch pieces

1 bag Crostini -toasted baguette pieces  ( I used Stacy’s brand Garlic & Herb- I found them at Cost Co. )

Procedures:

1. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, honey (start with 3 TBS), basil, nuts and a heavy pinch of S & P. Taste to see if it is sweet enough, if so- great. If not, add additional 1 TBS honey and stir. Cover and refrigerate until about 30 minutes before serving. Take out and let chill come off.

2. Preheat grill and cook sausage on both sides so that is cooked through. Slice while warm.

3. Place ricotta mixture in a medium size serving bowl. On a platter, place baguette pieces and tooth-picked sausage pieces. Place ricotta next to platter and plate up a few to show. Enjoy!

Gnocchi with Spicy Sausage, Zucchini & Wine

        Wow, a recipe! Who would of thunk it?!? It seems all I’ve been writing about are events and happenings lately. Which, while being entertaining, do zilch for your dinner table. So I’m back this week with a super-duper recipe that was a first-timer for me. Let me quickly explain…

            Gnocchi- always intriguing, never convincing. Sure, I’ve seen them on countless menus, salivated over them while watching Giada or Mario plate them up, and even persuaded Hubby to order them. But when push came to shove and dinner decisions had to be made- it was always a no-go on the gnocchi. They honestly seemed a bit too boring for me. Heavy, one-noted and offer a lot less per serving than my best friend Mr. Rigatoni does. But one day, not sure how it occurred, I brought a pack home…

            As with anything Italian-oriented in mi casa, I decided to try it out with sausage, zucchini and some fresh basil. I figure anything can be covered up by pork and fresh herbs, right? (and butter and olive oil) Anyway, the end result was great- not heavy, definitely not one-noted and pretty darn satisfying in my pasta bowl. Needless to write, I am now a gnocchi folkie!

            Yes, I just did type that rhyme….I promise to refrain from those next week! Enjoy…

Gnocchi with Spicy Sausage, Zucchini & Wine

Serves: 2-3

OBJ: TCW be able to expand her pasta-cooking skills by using a potato-based version

Ingredients:

1 package refrigerated gnocchi- cooked to the package directions, reserving ½ - 1 Cup pasta water

1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

3 garlic cloves, finely minced

1/2 shallot, minced

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil, divided

½ C dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio, but use what you booze!)

1 TBS unsalted butter

2 spicy sausage links, casings removed

2-3 small zucchini, sliced and cut into quarters

S & P- salt and pepper

½ C freshly grated Parmesan cheese

8-10 fresh basil leaves, torn

Procedures:

1. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 TBS oil. Add sausage to hot pan and cook- crumble well while cooking. Once browned, remove from pan using slotted spoon

2. Drain 1TBS sausage grease from pan. Add remaining 1 TBS oil and heat pan over medium flame

3. Add onions, garlic, shallot and a heavy pinch S & P. Cook over medium-low flame for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent

4. Add wine, scrape bottom of pan while upping flame to high and bringing wine to boil. Once boiling, lower to simmer and zucchini. Season zucchini with additional S & P to taste. Cover and let simmer for 8-10 minutes

5. Uncover sauté pan, add sausage back and mix to combine. Add butter and ¼ C reserved pasta water, stir

6. Fold in gnocchi and combine well over medium flame, adding more reserved water if needed. Top with Parmesan cheese, fresh basil and another small pinch S & P. Enjoy!

 

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

 

            There is a pretty funny story behind this meal. Let me begin…In the original recipe, it calls for ¼ tsp red pepper sauce, which as I thought, was referring to some sort of spicy red stuff. Not being a huge fan of spicy, I didn’t have many items to match that description. What I found that I thought would work was chili garlic sauce. So I went along with the recipe, added some chicken and called it a day. I was hosting a b-day party so, goodness knows, I had a gazillion things to do!

 

            8 or so hours later, we all sat down to eat the delicious smelling jambalaya. “This is hot,” “Oh man, spicy,” and, “G, you really kicked in the heat here,” are all quiet comments I hear lurking from the table. I, too, find this a bit spicy but continue to make the birthday gal proud (Mom) and eat away. Holy CraBumble! “This stuff is hot,” I soon concur. Then, I look over at my Grandpa and the poor man is sweating bullets. I say, “Papa, this is kinda hot, huh?” and he replies, “Why, yes darling, this is heavy on the spice, your Grandma must be in her glory.” At that moment, my Dad starts blowing his nose and my Mom comments, “This is one way to clear your sinuses.” All the meanwhile, I was just trying to enjoy the chicken, shrimp and rice but was truly held hostage by the chili sauce. So with all this who-ha, I had to come clean.....Well, the minute I mentioned my substitute, the table grinned and taught me some good lessons:

             1. red pepper sauce is not chili garlic sauce.

2. If you like on fire spicy things, add chili garlic sauce to them.

3. With any meal and especially this one, biscuits make it better!

Enjoy…

 

** Don’t let my spice mishap scare you, this slow cooker meal, minus the chili sauce, was awesome and incredibly easy. I fully intend to make it the future! Actually, if you are a true heat-seeker, do what I did, just offer your guest bread and water!

Birthday Gal & Me, xo

 

Slow Cooker Jambalaya

Serves: 6 - 8

Slightly adapted from: Betty Crocker

OBJ: TCW be able to host a dinner party for her Mom’s bday while being, as usual, too busy to spend all day in the kitchen

Ingredients:

 1 large onion, chopped (1 cup)

1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (1 cup)

2 medium celery stalks, chopped (1 cup) 

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained

2 C chopped fully cooked smoked sausage (chorizo)

2 skinless boneless chicken breast, chopped into 1 in pieces

1 TBS parsley flakes 

½ tsp dried thyme leaves 

½ tsp salt 

¼ tsp pepper 

¼ tsp red pepper sauce- Frank’s® Hot Sauce 

¾ lb uncooked peeled deveined medium shrimp, thawed if frozen

4 C hot cooked rice

Biscuits (optional)

Procedures:

1. In 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker, mix all ingredients except shrimp and rice

2. Cover and cook on Low heat setting 7 to 8 hours (or High heat setting 3 to 4 hours)

3. Stir in shrimp. Reduce heat setting to Low; cover and cook on Low heat setting about 1 hour longer or until shrimp are pink and firm

4. Serve jambalaya with rice and biscuits
Note: This recipe was tested in slow cookers with heating elements in the side and bottom of the cooker, not in cookers that stand only on a heated base. For slow cookers with just a heated base, follow the manufacturer’s directions for layering ingredients and choosing a temperature.

 

I even made a cake to end the night on the right note!

 

 

Rigatoni with Broccoli Rabe & Crumbled Sausage

 

       Okay so this meal wasn’t supposed to be “bloggable”. But after I threw it together in a pinch, ate 1 too many servings of it, scraped every last drop for the leftovers, I had to report back to you!

             The funny thing is I don’t know why I always feel cooking pasta is a 1-2-3 meal. When in reality, it is not! Confused? Yeah, you should be as I just told you this was thrown together in a pinch! See that’s the annoying thing with pasta, the sauce and noodles cook and create a meal in a snap, while the freakin’ pots and pans take all night!

            So while this dinner will be ready in less than 30 minutes, it’s the mess waiting for you in the kitchen that will have you itching to get on that couch. I sadly don’t have a solution for you in that department though. Sorry my friends, I only bring you edibles, not miracles! Enjoy…

Rigatoni with Broccoli Rabe & Crumbled Sausage

Serves: 2-3

OBJ: TCW be able to convince her husband that broccoli rabe isn’t like broccoli

Ingredients:

½ lb rigatoni pasta, or any other hollowed out tube-shaped version

2 sweet or hot sausage links, casings removed

1 bunch broccoli rabe, rinsed, ends removed and coarsely chopped

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

½ C low sodium chicken broth

¼ C dry white wine, I use Pinot Grigio but use what you booze!

1 TBS unsalted butter

S & P: salt and pepper

Red chili flakes, optional

Freshly grated Parmesan

Procedures:

1. Boil pasta water and cook according to package directions, adding broccoli rabe into water with 4 minutes remaining

2. Meanwhile, heat oil over medium heat, add sausage, garlic and S & P (chili flakes too if you’re using). Cook over medium-low heat, crumbling up sausage as it cooks with a wooden spoon. Cook until sausage is browned and garlic is softened (about 10-12 minutes). Remove sausage with a slotted spoon to paper towel-lined plate

3. Add wine to the remaining oil and garlic, stir up pieces on bottom of pan. Bring wine to boil, then lower flame to let wine simmer and reduce, about 5 minutes

4. Add sausage, chicken broth, butter and a pinch more S & P into pan and stir well over medium heat. Cover and keep on low flame for 5 minutes

5. Uncover pan, add drained pasta and broccoli rabe, about 3 TBS Parmesan  and stir well over medium-high flame ( If too dry, add more broth 2 TBS at a time )

6. Top with additional Parmesan, bring to the table and serve!

 

 

Sausage & Fennel Sandwiches

             Oh, sandwiches, how I love you so! The thought of fresh bread, juicy meat and some sort of oozy cheese just makes me smile. Maybe it’s the bread & cheese combo that gets me or maybe it’s that you can fit all the food groups in one item. Well whatever it is, I adore them.

            The problem is I usually fall into a food funk with them. Over and over again, I make some sort of chicken sandwich. Chicken with BBQ sauce, chicken with pesto, chicken with provolone……yada yada yada……this chicken thing is getting a bit dated in our home.

            To the rescue, sausage! Now I know slamming sausage between 2 slices isn’t revolutionary, but for this gal it is! I pretty much place sausage in 3 categories: at the boardwalk, in my pasta & on my pizza. Respectively, the pork fits well there. But on my sandwich, hhmmmm......

            BINGO, here is a super sandwich….no more clucking around here! Yes, it may be heavier than your usual chicken variety, but I say it’s worth the calories in flavor, satisfaction and exceptionalityJ Enjoy…

Sausage & Fennel Sandwiches

Makes: 2

OBJ: TCW be able to serve a sandwich with something other than chicken on it!

Ingredients:

2 sausage links, cut into thirds

2 TBS oil

1 head of fennel, thinly sliced

1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced

1 zucchini, sliced

S & P (salt and pepper)

1 tsp dried parsley

½ tsp crushed red pepper

2, 4 inch Italian rolls

Procedures:

1. Preheat oven to 425

2. Drizzle oil on large rimmed baking sheet

3. Add all ingredients except rolls, toss well

4. Roast for 25- 30 minutes

5. When there is 3 minutes left, add bread to warm in the oven

6. Arrange sandwiches, serve warm

Roasted Vegetable & Sausage Rotini

                I know what you may be thinking….. all this chick ever cooks is pasta! And you’re right my dear friends; it is one of my best pals during the week, weekend and even out to dinner. But to defend myself against all you carb-hating people, I usually add a ton of things to my pasta so that really, it isn’t the star, just the platform if-you-will. And so here is yet another pasta hit that I will be making again and again as it is easy, quick, and down-right delicious.

                As for the veggies used, I stuck to some farmers’ market favorites: zucchini, peppers and onions. You really could do anything here: asparagus, broccoli, artichokes, etc. would be great swaps. I chose to go with the roasting process so that it would yield me a great base to my wine broth, and with the drippings THAT YOU HAVE TO ADD, the broth was indeed rich and deep in both flavor and color.

                If you are not a spicy eater, a sweet sausage would do fine so no worries there. However, if you are an anti-sausage civilian, this dish will um…well…to put it nicely…not work. The sausage produces way more flavor than say shrimp or chicken would, sorry folks. But if you would like to go pig-less, you could just roast the veggies, then add your protein to the sauté and cook it prior to step 10. Meh, I hope you take the sausage route though, it is so darn good. Okay, well that is enough yip-yap for this blog post and so I leave you will a great meal for the coming weeks, enjoyJ

Roasted Vegetable & Sausage Rotini

Serves:2-3

OBJ: TCW be able to cook all her ingredients on one baking sheet

Ingredients:

3 cloves garlic, peeled

1 green zucchini, stem removed

2 yellow zucchini, stems removed

½ red pepper, seeds and stem removed

½ yellow pepper, seeds and stem removed

1 hot sausage ring, or 3 links

½ large Vidalia onion

2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil

 ¼ C dry white wine ( I use Pinot Grigio, but use what you booze!)

¼ C -1/2 C reserved pasta water

3 fresh basil leaves, torn

Parmesan cheese

½ lb rotini pasta

Procedures:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degees

2. Cut sausage ring into about 4 large pieces, about 3-4 inches each (links cut in ½)

3. Chop all zucchini pieces into large chucks, about 1 inch rounds

4. Chop onion into large 1-2 inch chunks, chop peppers into large 1 inch strips and leave garlic whole

5. Place all ingredients spread out on a baking sheet or jelly roll pan

6. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper (about 1 tsp each),  drizzle with about 1-2 TBS olive oil, toss well

7. Place in oven to roast for 35-40 minutes (be sure to check if sausage is cooked through)

8. Meanwhile, boil water for pasta

9. On a separate plate slice sausage into ½ inch rounds

10. Place a large sauté pan over medium flame, add sausage and entire pan of roasted items, including drippings, stir

11. Add wine, turn heat to high, bring to boil then lower flame and let wine reduce, about 3 minutes

12. To sauté, add pasta, pinch S & P, fresh basil, toss to combine with additional pasta water

13. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese, serve

Sausage & Spinach sauteed Ravioli

              To tell you the truth here, I am not sure what to write about for this dish. I think the type of ravioli I used were by themselves, “bloggable,” while the dinner itself was worth some words as well! So to deal with my issue over what to present, I’ll write about both! I promise I’ll keep it shortJ

                First, the ravioli. Not only were they ridiculously creamy and beautiful to look at, they were done in about 2 minutes! Even better though, was the fact that they could have also been microwaved! MICROWAVED! In my entire cooking lifespan, I have yet to come across “ravs” that can be nuked, have you?!? Now, not that I dabbled in that type of cooking this time, I am definitely intrigued for future use. What do you think? I’m going to give a whirl sometime soon, so stay tuned….

                Now for the dish, yum yum yum. The combo of spinach, wine, a little butter and some crumbled sausage was a true homerun! It wasn’t swimming in sauce either; rather, each ravioli had just the right amount of coating and broth to set itself up for a well balanced bite! Not to mention, even with a filled pasta and sausage component, it made for a somewhat light meal. I tribute both the broth and the subtleness of the spinach, both of which offered flavor sans weight.

                So that’s about it for this week. I hope you try this recipe, it was a winner, no doubt! And for the ravioli, I encourage you to try them, even if you boil like me the first time. I’ll get back to you with the microwaved version in the near future, although if I don’t post about it in the next couple months, I’d say stick to the boiling, tried-and-true, method! Enjoy…..

Sausage & Spinach sautéed Ravioli

Serves: 2-3 

OBJ: TCW be able to combine some lingering freezing items into a flavorful dish!

Ingredients:

¼ of a large onion, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 sausage links (1 sweet, 1 hot), casings removed

¼ bag, washed and coarsely chopped spinach

½ of a 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes

1 and 2 tsp Extra Virgin Olive oil

½ TBS unsalted butter

½ C dry white wine (I used a White Bordeaux, but use what you booze!)

Grated Parmesan cheese

S & P: salt and pepper

Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

¼ C reserved ravioli water

1 package (15 ounce) spinach ravioli, cooked to stovetop directions (brand I used: Cucina di Carla)

Procedures:

1.  In a large sauté pan, heat 2 tsp oil over medium heat. Add sausage and crumble while cooking, about 5-8 minutes. Once browned and cooked through, remove sausage to paper towel-lined plate

2. To same sauté pan, add 1 TBS oil and heat over medium flame. Add onions, garlic, and a pinch S & P. Let cook and soften, about 5 minutes

3. Add wine to pan, up flame to high and bring to boil. Scrape up “bits” from bottom then turn flame to low to simmer, let sauce reduce, about 2 minutes

4. Add tomatoes, another pinch S & P, and red pepper flakes to pan, stir and bring to simmer. Cover for 5 minutes

5. Uncover pan, add sausage, spinach, and butter, mix well over low flame

6. Add cooked ravioli, Parmesan cheese (About 1-2 TBS), reserved ravioli water to sauté and toss well to combine

7. Bring to table and serveJ

Rigatoni with Kale & Crumbled Sausage

          

           Alright so here’s a dish that had me salivating once I thought of it. I saw the kale first in the store and, as always, it looked so vibrant and tantalizing. I placed it in my cart and got to thinking. I usually toss kale with pierogies and browned kielbasa, but since I didn’t feel like making a trip to the Polish deli down my street, I had to think of something else. Soup automatically came to mind, however I’m not really a soup eater unless you put it in front of me! Haha….Anyway, so soup was out and I continued to think…..Then, what do you know, I looked up and I was in my favorite aisle, the pasta aisle! So to make a long story short, I grabbed a box and figured I could either toss it with bacon or sausage to round out the meal.

                So I got home, decided to go with sausage, prepped what I needed, and began to cook. Now here comes the twist…..I usually, no always is more like it, have a bottle of Pinot Grigio in my fridge. Sadly though, this week all I had was a bottle of Verdi, a sparkling sweet white wine that would have to do. Honestly, I was a little tentative because me and my Pinot are hard to separate in the kitchen, but I went with it and used the sole vino I had.

                Result? A remarkably sweet pasta dish that was hearty & satisfying. The broth that was created from the wine, broth, tomatoes and pasta water was refreshingly light yet the sausage flavors came through with a defined taste and texture. The kale softened up perfectly and created a nice counterpart to the al-dente rigatonis.  All in all, a definite keeper in my book…..Enjoy…..

Rigatoni with Kale & Crumbled Sausage

Serves: 2-3

OBJ: TCW be able to soften & sweeten up what is normally a tough and bitter green

Ingredients:

½ lb (8 oz.) rigatoni pasta

1 bunch kale, stems removed and coarsely chopped

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 sausage links, casings removed (I used 1 sweet and 1 hot, but it’s up to you)

1 pint grape tomatoes, ½ the pint halved, other left whole

½ C sweet white wine or whatever white wine you have on hand

¼ C reduced sodium chicken broth

½ TBS unsalted butter

S & P: salt and pepper

Red pepper flakes, optional

Grated Parmesan

Procedures:

1. Boil water and cook pasta according to package directions, reserving ½ C pasta water

2. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, sausage & a pinch S & P to pan, cook for about 10 minutes, breaking apart the sausage into crumbles as you cook. Crumbles should be browned when done

3. Remove sausage from pan to a paper towel-lined plate

4. Add wine and chicken broth to pan and turn heat to high, bring wine and broth to boil, stir well to get up “bits” from bottom, then lower flame to allow wine and broth to simmer and reduce, about 3 minutes

5. Add tomatoes and another pinch S & P to pan, stir and cover over medium-low flame for 2-3 minutes

6. Add kale, butter, another pinch S & P, and stir to combine, cover for 10 minutes, stirring every 3-4 minutes to toss kale and crush tomatoes

7. Add sausage to kale sauté and stir well, cover for 2-3 minutes

8. Add drained pasta, ½ C pasta water and a generous pinch of Parmesan to sauté and toss well to combine all ingredients ( add red pepper flakes here if using)

9. Cover and bring to table to serve!

Pasta topped with Kale, Spicy Sausage & Cherry Tomatoes

          

               I am proud to say that I make a weekly “list” for the food store and farmers’ market and stick to it 98% of the time. Now I realize this is a tough, um perhaps impossible, task for those of you with kiddies or partners that tag along and want everything in sight, but I tend to go solo and stick to my plan. However, the other day something popped out at me that wasn’t on the list and I couldn’t turn it down. It just looked so darn delicious, fresh, and inviting. What was it you ask?????……KALE!  Yes, you read that right, it was kale, that fibrous, dark green vegetable that most would rather stuff in the garbage than in their mouth. But to me, it was practically glowing. I had to have it and I had to have it that night for dinner. Now usually I make kale sautéed with kielbasa and pierogies, but that would be too much deviating from the “list” for one day! I told you I’m kinda odd, right?…..Anyway, I looked in my cart and came up with this recipe.  In the end, the kale was cooked just enough so that it still hung on to its texture yet the bitterness was cut by the spicy  sausage crumbles. Cherry tomatoes added to the broth while also counteracting against the heartiness of the greens and sausage. The dish also came together pretty quickly which made for one happy shopper!

Pasta topped with Kale, Spicy Sausage, & Cherry Tomatoes

Serves: 2-4

OBJ: TCW be able to include a wintery green in a light, broth-based, pasta dish

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Kale, stems removed and roughly chopped

2 links spicy sausage, casing removed

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

½ pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut in half

½ C dry white wine ( I use Pinot Grigio, but use what you booze!)

½ lb Gemelli or other non-hollowed pasta

½  TBS unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Reserved pasta water

S & P: salt and pepper

½ C grated Parmesan cheese

Procedures:

1. Boiling water and cook pasta according to package directions, reserving 1 C pasta water

2. In a large sauté pan, heat 1 TBS oil over medium heat

3. Add sausage links and use a wooden spoon to break up into “crumbles” and let brown, stirring and breaking apart sausage frequently, about 10-15 minutes

4. Remove sausage to a paper towel-lined plate, drain extra oil but make sure to leave enough to coat bottom of pan

Oh those yummy crumbles.....

5. Add 2 TBS olive oil to same pan, add garlic, a pinch S & P, and turn heat down to medium low, let garlic cook for about 8 minutes

6. Add wine and turn heat up, bring to a boil and let reduce, about 5 minutes

7. Add tomatoes, kale, another pinch S & P, and ¼ C pasta water to pan and cover, then turn heat to medium low (FYI, at this point I would be adding my pasta to boiling water)

8. After about 5 minutes, uncover pan, press the tomatoes down with a fork to release juices, add sausage and toss kale well with all ingredients. Then, add butter, cover again and let cook for another 5 minutes

10. Remove lid, add ¼ C parmesan cheese, another ¼ C pasta water and mix

11. Add pasta to pan, toss well and if needed add ¼ C pasta water for more broth. Sprinkle with additional ¼ C parmesan cheese and serve!



Isn't she gorgeous?!?!?



Pasta tossed with Cherry Tomatoes, Shredded Zucchini & Sausage

                    Everyone has a go-to dish, right? One that you are always in the mood for, could make with your eyes shut, and that always comes out great regardless of external factors (mood, weather, phone ringing a gazillion times, etc) Well, in my home, that dish is pasta tossed with sausage and zucchini. Matt and I love the mix of sweet zucchini with spicy sausage and well, pasta could never disappoint us! So the other day, I was kind of in the mood for this because it had been too long since we’ve enjoyed it, but I wanted to change it up a touch. Not like make it a baked dish rather than a sautéed dish or change the protein from sausage to shrimp; I just wanted to tweak the appearance and texture a bit. My answer: roast and slice the sausage instead of uncase and crumble and shred the zuc instead of chop. What turned out was a fabulous, incredibly rich yet light dinner! The sliced sausage really stood out here. The fennel inside came alive, while the shredded zucchini came to become somewhat of a sauce and the cherry tomatoes literally bursted with freshness. It was a great meal and one that I know I can rely on in the future!

Pasta tossed with Cherry Tomatoes, Shredded Zucchini & Sausage

Serves: 2-4

OBJ: TCW will be able to put a spin on a classic dish of hers

Ingredients:

½ lb tube shaped pasta

2 TBS extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for later drizzling

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 TBS unsalted butter

2 TBS fresh parsley, roughly chopped

¼ C dry white wine (I use Pinot Grigio, but use what you booze!)

2 zucchini, I cut into rounds then quartered, 1 shredded using a cheese grater (place grated zucchini on a paper towel and wring dry to soak up moisture)

½ pint cherry tomatoes cut in ½

2 sausage links (I used 1 sweet and 1 hot, but use what you prefer)

2 TBS parmesan cheese

S & P: salt & pepper

Procedures:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Place sausage links in a shallow baking and rub with about 2 tsp olive oil (just to coat)

3. Roast for 40 minutes, turning ½ way through. Remove from oven, let cool and slice into rounds

4. Boil water for pasta and make according to package directions, reserving 1 cup pasta water

5. Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, heat the 2 TBS olive oil, butter, and a pinch S & P over medium-low heat

6. Add parsley and garlic, sauté for 10 minutes, enough time for garlic to soften

7. Add wine and bring to a boil for 3-4 minutes, letting wine reduce

8. Add zucchini, tomatoes, another pinch S & P, and about ¼ C water from pasta water, mix well, turn the heat up to medium and cover (FYI- At this point I would put in pasta)

9. Leave covered for 10, then add sausage and all its drippings, stir well and recover for 3-5 minutes

10. Add parmesan cheese and pasta to sauté and mix well, add additional ¼ c -1/2 c pasta water as you mix

11. Drizzle with additional 2 TBS olive oil and serve!

Ricotta-topped Penne tossed with Sausage & Tomatoes

Ricotta-topped Penne tossed with Sausage & Tomatoes

OBJ: TCW be able to integrate her red wine into a pasta dish

Ingredients:

¾ lb of penne pasta

2 links sweet or spicy sausage, casings removed

¼ C diced yellow onion

2 garlic cloves minced

½  C dry red wine, I used a merlot

4 TBS extra virgin olive oil

1 can diced tomatoes

½ C whole milk ricotta cheese

¼ C grated parmesan

S & P

Procedures:

1.      Boil  water for pasta, add salt right before you place pasta in

2.      Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, add 2 TBS of olive oil and heat over medium flame

3.      Add sausage and crumble in pan, stir often and cook until you have browned pea-sized pieces

4.      Remove sausage from pan and place on paper towel-lined plate to drain

5.      To same sauté pan, add diced onion and garlic, additional 2 TBS of olive oil, and a pinch of S & P

6.      Lower heat to medium- low and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes

7.      Add wine and up the flame to medium-high, let wine boil and reduce, this will take about 3 minutes

8.      Add can of tomatoes (with their juices) to sauté pan and stir , add pasta to boiling water at this point

9.      Bring tomatoes up to boil and then lower heat, cover pan, and let simmer for 10 minutes

10.  After  ten minutes, take off cover, sprinkle with S & P, add sausage back in and let simmer in the uncovered pan for 2- 3 minutes

11.  Add cooked pasta to sauté pan, stir and toss to incorporate

12.  Dollop the ricotta all around pan and sprinkle with the parmesan. Cover the dish, turn heat up for 20 seconds to let cheeses melt and bring to table. Serve to hungry diners!