got home on the later side last night, traffic was a bear. thankfully all i had to do for dinner was grill up some steaks and steam some broccoli - easy. but not so fast, we ran out of propane as we started up the grill! grrr. now what? it would be unacceptable in my house to cook the steaks any other way and my husband gets especially irritable and cranky we he is hungry (but i guess we all do). he just takes it to another level, whining and complaining that hes going to STARVE because now there is NOTHING to eat. heaven forbid we dont eat the steaks we were planning to eat for dinner tonight. so i check the fridge and the pantry only to discover that i have all the ingredients to make my super delicious go-to pasta dish. great flavor and spice and can be made in under 20 minutes (which was still an eternity to my husband, but hey). i have listed both the recipe for last night's pasta dish and the traditional recipe. i did have to make a few improvisations, but not many and both versions are SO good.
last night's italian sausage, tomato, & cream bowtie pasta
ingredients:
1 12 oz pkg of bowtie pasta
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
2 bristol farms sweet italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled (if you dont have a bristol near you, im sorry :) you can use any italian sausage of your choosing)
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (i tend to add more during the cooking process, i like it spicy. this can be omitted if you desire)
half red onion, roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves, pressed (or finely chopped/minced)
salt and pepper to taste (i used more salt than pepper)
1-2 cups prego traditional heart smart pasta sauce (this is what i had on hand; i eyeballed the measurement)
1 cup heavy cream
shredded parmesan cheese, just to top the pasta
method:
heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat (you want a deep skillet because ultimately you will add the cooked pasta to the sauce). cook sausage until evenly browned. while the sausage was cooking i prepared my pasta pot with water and salt. once the water is boiling, drop in the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes; drain. to the sausage, add the red chili flakes, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper. cook until the onion is tender. once the onion was tender i added about 2 cups of prego pasta sauce. again, i eyeballed this measurement. you need just enough to cover the sausage and onions and get a sauce base going. stir in the cream (this is also a good time to add more red chili flakes or salt and pepper if you wish). simmer until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes. i just simmered the sauce until my pasta was ready - my husband was waiting ever so patiently for dinner :) add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix until all the little bowties are covered. plate the pasta and top with shredded parmesan. i REALLY love adding chopped fresh flat leaf parsley as well, but our garden is currently dormant and i didnt have any on hand.
traditional italian sausage, tomato, & cream bowtie pasta
(changes noted in red - recipe adapted from allrecipes.com)
ingredients:
1 12 oz pkg of bowtie pasta
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound bristol farms sweet italian sausages, casings removed and crumbled (if you dont have a bristol near you, im sorry :) you can use any italian sausage of your choosing)
1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes (i tend to add more during the cooking process, i like it spicy. this can be omitted if you desire)
half cup diced onion
4 garlic cloves, pressed (or finely chopped/minced)
salt and pepper to taste (i used more salt than pepper)
2 15 oz cans diced italian style tomatoes
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
shredded parmesan cheese, just to top the pasta
4 tablespoons freshly minced flat leaf parsley
method:
heat the oil in a large deep skillet over medium heat (you want a deep skillet because ultimately you will add the cooked pasta to the sauce). cook sausage until evenly browned. while the sausage is cooking, prepare your pasta pot with water and salt. once the water is boiling, drop in the pasta and cook for about 10 minutes; drain. to the sausage, add the red chili flakes, onion, garlic, and salt and pepper. cook until the onion is tender. once the onion stir in tomatoes and cream (this is also a good time to add more red chili flakes or salt and pepper if you wish). simmer until the mixture thickens, about 8-10 minutes. add the drained pasta to the sauce and mix until all the little bowties are covered. plate the pasta and top with shredded parmesan and parsley.
this dish is SO delicious and quite simple! my 19 month old son loves it too - even the spicy version. in the photo, my husbands plate is on the top and my plate is on the bottom. i thought i would share the difference in our portions. men usually have less body fat and more muscle than women and ultimately burn more calories than we do. we definitely cannot eat the same portion with similar results. as much as i LOVE this dish and would like to eat an entire plate of it like my husband, i dont. that being said, i very much enjoyed my portion of pasta!
buongusto!
- the mrs.
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