Sweet Tooth Haven

Rigatoni with Vegetarian (or not) Sausage and Peppers

I make this recipe with two types of sausage: vegetarian (tofu) Italian sausage for me, and Italian turkey sausage for my boyfriend.  Use one, both, or pork, if you like.   

The recipe comes from Everyday Pasta by Giada de Laurentiis (except for the veggie sausage), but I halve the recipe to make it for two and use a bit less pasta.  We still have leftovers!  You can also forget the pasta and serve on some nice rolls to make sandwiches.

Ingredients:

2 TBSP extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tofurky vegetarian Italian sausages, sliced
3 sweet Italian turkey sausage (or 2 more Tofurky or use pork if you like)
1 bell pepper, sliced
1 yellow onion, sliced
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
2 cloves chopped garlic
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1 TBSP tomato paste
1/2 cup Marsala wine
8 oz.  canned diced tomatoes with juice
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
6 oz. dried rigatoni
freshly grated Parmesan cheese for garnish

Since you'll be adding bunches of ingredients together at different times, it's a good idea to be organized.  Here's my set-up:

Put sliced onions, peppers, salt, and pepper together.

Chopped garlic, dry oregano, and fresh basil go together.

Wine and diced tomatoes together.  (Sorry no picture)

First add 1Tablespoon oil to a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides.  About 20 minutes. (Less for the veggie sausage which should be cut up before cooking.)  I use a separate pan for each type of sausage.  While the sausages cook I do my chopping an organizing.

Remove the sausage from the pan(s).  Add the peppers, onion, black pepper and salt to the large skillet.  Cook until golden, about 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, oregano,and basil and cook for 2 minutes.  Add tomato paste and stir until incorporated.    It'll look something like this:

Add the Marsala, tomatoes, and red pepper flakes.  Stir and scrape bottom of pan to loosen any bits that have stuck.  Add the sliced, cooked sausages and let simmer until the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes.  This is a good time to cook the pasta unless you're making sandwiches.

When your pasta is done, add to the sauce and mix it up. Spoon onto plates and sprinkle with Parmesan.

 

Baked Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese is my favorite comfort food.  How can you wrong when combining two such wonderful ingredients: pasta and cheese?  Nothing in a box can beat homemade mac and cheese, especially when it's baked with a crunchy topping.  I've been making this since high school when my mom called me to say she'd be late from work and I scribbled her instructions on the sheet of loose-leaf paper I was using to do my math homework.  I've varied the recipe slightly to fit my changing tastes, but it still holds true to the one my mom dictated over the phone. 

Ingredients:

• 6 oz. dried pasta (I used celentani,shells are good,too)  cooked al dente
• 3 TBSP flour
• 3 TBSP butter
• 1 1/2 cup warm milk
• 4 cups colby-jack and fontina cheese, shredded
• Cheez-its (or goldfish), crumbled
  
• pepper to taste
  
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp chili powder

Directions:

1.  First you will make a roux.  This is a mixture of flour and fat.  Melt the butter over medium low heat.  Stir in the equal amount of flour.  It should be pasty, if not, add more flour.  Stir it around over the heat to 'cook' the flour slightly.

2.  Start adding the milk.  You don't want to make lumps, so go slow! While stirring with a whisk, pour in a bit of milk at a time.  Wait until it's become incorporated before adding the next bit.

3.  Stir the roux (gently) until it thickens.  This is a good time to add the seasonings.  I usually switch to a wooden spoon at this point.  The roux will become noticeably thicker and will coat the spoon.

4.  Add the shredded cheese.  Like with the milk, you want to stir after each addition until the cheese melts into the sauce.

5.  Now it's time to mix the pasta with the cheese sauce.  You may choose a different method, but I like to add pasta to the sauce right in the saucepan.  That way I can control how much pasta goes in, I like mine very cheesy, so sometimes some pasta is leftover.

6.  Pour into a baking dish.  Crumble Cheez-its over the top. 

7.  Bake at 350-degrees for about 20 minutes, until it's nice a bubbly.

8.  Serve it up hot.  I also like cold mac and cheese, so it makes great leftovers.  My friend always put lemon pepper on hers which I sneered at, until I tried it.  Now it's a habit.

Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables

This recipe is from Everyday Pasta by Giada De Laurentiis. It's got lots of veggies and tons of flavor. I'm vegetarian, but my boyfriend is not and he likes this recipe just as much as me; it's hearty and satisfying.  I made a few changes to better suit our tastes:  instead of summer squash I put more zucchini, replaced frozen peas with asparagus, and added crushed red pepper for a little spice.  Although I haven't tried it, you could probably leave out the cheese if you're lactose intolerant or want to make a vegan dish. It also can be prepared a day ahead and baked the next day. Great leftovers!

Here's what you need:
2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and cut into 1-inch strips
3 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 cremini mushrooms, quartered (I'm not a fan of mushrooms, but included them for flavor.)
1 1/2 cups asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1 yellow onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper (optional)
1 Tablespoon dried Italian herb blend or herbes de Provence
1 pound penne pasta
3 cups marinara sauce  (I used organic marinara from Trader Joe's.)
1 cup grated fontina cheese
1/2 cup grated smoked mozarella
1/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus 1/3 cup for topping
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Directions:
1.  Prepare yourself:  Preheat your oven to 450-degrees.   Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish and set aside.

2.  Place all the chopped veggies on a rimmed baking sheet.

 

3.  Toss the veggies with the olive oil, 1/2 tsp of the salt, 1/4 tsp of the pepper, and the herbs; Mix it up well.

4.  Bake in the preheated 450-degree oven for about 15 minutes or until the veggies are tender.  (Easily pierced with a fork.)

 

5.  While the veggies are roasting, boil the water, add some salt and the penne.  Cook only about 6 minutes.  The pasta will cook more in the oven, so keep it undercooked.

6.  In a very large bowl, mix together  the drained pasta, roasted veggies, and 3 cups marinara sauce.

7.  Add the shredded fontina, smoked mozarella, 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/4 tsp pepper.  Gently mix with a wooden spoon until everything is combined.

8.  Pour it all into your prepared 9x13 pan.  Sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup Parmesan over the top and add butter pieces.

9.  Bake until the top is golden, the cheese is melted and it's nice and bubbly, about 25 minutes.

I'd let it cool for just a few minutes before digging in.