Since everything I've read lately is about turkey and pie, I wanted to share one of my go-to Fall recipes. Keep this handy for Sunday... when you're completely turkey'd out and need something other than poultry and stuffing in your belly.
I'm always looking for new ways to spice up the weekly dinner circuit, and I usually find ideas in random places. Ok, ok... Pinterest isn't that random- but this recipe came about courtesy of the farmer's market in Highland Village, pre-Pinterest. That was one of my favorite weekend past times in Houston... they have a great market in the parking lot beside Escalante's on Westheimer. They {used to} have local celebrity chefs do live demos with fresh ingredients they bought that morning from the market, and this was one of the recipes I fell in love with.
It just so happens that my favorite vendor at my new farmer's market in Arlington, Smith Meadows, has a great selection of grass-fed, family farm raised meat. I'm a huge fan of Sweet Italian Sausage, and there's an abundance of peppers at the produce booths, so this is one of our Fall staples. It's perfect for this time of year- it's hearty & the peppers and onions give just enough spice to keep you warm & cozy :) There are so many ways to play around with the ingredients and make it your own- add more veggies, swap out the sauce flavor, try different types of sausage, cook it with ravioli or tortellini instead of spaghetti or fettucini... the possibilities are endless!
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| Sweet italian sausage, peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, sauce, oregano |
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| Start boiling the water FIRST! Saves a ton of time. Saute garlic, peppers, onions together |
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| Add the sauce and tomoatoes AFTER you cook the sausage |
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| Stir together, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes |
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| Voila! |
Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
1 package sweet italian sausage {+/- 1 lb}
2 ripe tomatoes, diced
1-2 bell peppers, diced
1 sweet onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tbsp EVOO
1/4 C of sweet white wine
1/8 C water
1 jar spaghetti sauce {I love Traditional Prego or Clasico Vodka Sauce}
Fresh oregano
Homemade pasta- recipe/instructions here- {Fresh makes ALL the difference!}
Heat EVOO in large sauté pan over medium heat, add garlic and stir 30 seconds. Add diced peppers, onions, and wine, and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. At the same time, prep the water for the pasta noodles- bring to a rolling boil. After the onions turn clear and the peppers soften, add the sausage links and the 1/8 C water. Cover and cook for 7 minutes on one side, turn and stir the vegetable mix, re-cover and cook for 5-6 until the sausage is cooked.
Remove sausage from the pan and cut into 1/2 inch sections. Toss them back into the mixture, stir/re-cover, and cook for 3 minutes. Once the liquid is almost evaporated, add the jar of pasta sauce and diced tomatoes, stir together, turn heat to low and re-cover. Let it simmer for 10 minutes.
While the sauce is simmering, boil the pasta noodles al dente {or whatever you like}.
Drain noodles, plate the pasta, top with the sauce & oregano, and ENJOY!!
On a separate note, we are flying to Alabama this afternoon {weather permitting} to celebrate Thanksgiving with Zeke's family once again. We are spending the holiday in Mobile then driving to Auburn for the Iron Bowl Saturday. I hope everyone has a safe travels, a Happy Thanksgiving, and WAR EAGLE!
