Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce

SPAGHETTI WITH SAUSAGE AND SIMPLE TOMATO SAUCE

So delicious!  Great weeknight meal.  I added some red bell pepper and spinach.

Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Tomato Sauce (Cooking Light)

INGREDIENTS:
8 ounces hot Italian turkey sausage links
8 ounces uncooked spaghetti
1 (28-ounce) can no-salt-added whole tomatoes, undrained
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup torn fresh basil
1/2 cup (2 ounces) shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat broiler.

2. Arrange sausage on a small baking sheet. Broil sausage 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove pan from oven (do not turn broiler off). Cut sausage into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Arrange slices in a single layer on baking sheet. Broil sausage slices 2 minutes or until browned.

3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

4. Place tomatoes in a food processor; process until almost smooth. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add crushed red pepper and minced garlic; sauté 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, sugar, and salt; cook 4 minutes or until slightly thick. Add sausage and cooked pasta to pan; toss well. Top with fresh basil and Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Sausage, Pepper & Onion Subs

SAUSAGE, PEPPER & ONION SUBS

I really am a huge fan of Giada's. I have had such great luck with her recipes. Tonight I made her Sausage, Peppers & Onions and served it on fresh bakery sub buns! YUM! This was easy and so flavorful. Also a bonus, we have enough leftovers for tomorrow. Can't complain about that!!! This is so, so good and would even be tasty with pasta!

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage (I used sweet Italian sausage)
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional (we used a heaping tsp!)
Mozzarella cheese, optional (we put a slice on each sub)
4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls, optional

DIRECTIONS:
Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Serve in bowls. Or, if serving as a sandwich, split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.

Spicy Lentils with Sausage

SPICY LENTILS WITH SAUSAGE

I found this recipe in the Detroit News a while back. Once I saw it, I knew I had to try it. It's so hearty and flavorful. Plus, with Lent rolling around, you can omit the sausage and have a tasty vegetarian dish. Definitely give it a try. It's the perfect weeknight meal.

I used the steamed lentils from Trader Joe's to save on time. I highly recommend these. They are sooo good!!!

INGREDIENTS:
1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed
1 cup red and/or yellow peppers, finely chopped
1 14-ounce can peeled diced tomatoes
1 cup V-8
2 cups prepared lentils
1 small can of diced green chiles
Pinch of dried basil
Crushed red pepper to taste (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 pound sausage (chicken or pork), browned and sliced (optional)

DIRECTIONS:
Cook the sausage as directed. Slice and set aside.

Prepare lentils, as directed.

In a large pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions, garlic and peppers. Sauté until soft. Add the tomatoes and V-8. Stir well, cover and simmer for 20 mins.

Add cooked lentils, seasonings, chiles, cooked sausage and heat thoroughly.

Serve in shallow soup bowls. You can top with goat cheese or Parmesan cheese. YUM!!

Roasted Pepper & Onion Pasta Bake

We'll call this a 'cleaning out the closet' meal. I had some chicken sausage in the freezer that I wanted to use up, so I put together this dish. It was so good and flavorful.

Roasted Pepper & Onion Pasta Bake

INGREDIENTS

1/2 lb of elbow macaroni

1 green bell pepper, sliced in chunks

1/2 large red bell pepper, sliced in chunks

1 large onion, cut into chunks

4 garlic cloves

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

3 links chicken sausage w/ fennel

2 1/2 tablespoons Italian style tomato paste

1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes, with juice

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper

1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup breadcrumbs

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the peppers and onion in a 9x13 baking dish. Coat the peppers, garlic and onions with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place uncovered baking dish in the oven and roast for 30-40 mins, or until done. Once done, mash the garlic.

Cook the chicken sausage in a pan. Once cooked, slice into half moons.

Cook the macaroni, as directed.

In a large bowl, combine the roasted vegtables, chicken sausage, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes. Once the macaroni is cooked, drain and add to the sausage mixture.

Coat a 9x9 pan with cooking spray. Pour the pasta mixture into the pan.

In a small bowl, mix 1/4 cup of breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup of parmesan cheese. Sprinkle over the top of the pasta mixture. Dot the top with small bits of butter.

Bake until the top is golden brown. About 20-30 mins.

Get Dirty!!

I was looking for a recipe that incorporated Italian sausage, as I had some I needed to use up in the freezer. I have never cooked risotto before, so this recipe was a little intimidating. To my surprise, it was so EASY!! Be patient. Slowly stirring that broth in is key. It's so worth the wait!

The flavor is incredible and the servings are so filling. I will definitely make this recipe again!!

DIRTY RISOTTO (Giada De Laurentiis)

INGREDIENTS:

5 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (make sure you use reduced-sodium!!)

2 tablespoons butter

2 ounces pancetta, chopped

1 link (about 6 ounces) spicy Italian sausage, casing removed

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

4 ounces button mushrooms, coarsely chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt (I did not add this)

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice or medium-grain white rice

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

DIRECTIONS:

In a medium saucepan, bring the broth to a simmer. Cover the broth and keep warm over low heat.

In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the pancetta and sausage and saute until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms and saute until tender, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the wine and simmer until the wine has almost completely evaporated, about 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of simmering broth and stir until almost completely absorbed, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking the rice, adding the broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each addition of broth to absorb before adding the next, until the rice is tender but still firm to the bite and the mixture is creamy, about 25 to 30 minutes total. Remove from the heat. Stir in 3/4 of the Parmesan. Transfer the risotto to a serving bowl. Sprinkle with the parsley and remaining Parmesan and serve immediately.