Italian Sausage Pasta Food

MAKE AHEAD ITALIAN SAUSAGE AND PASTA BAKE

Steps:

• Cut sausage into 1/2 inch chunks. I large skillet, brown sausage over medium-high heat, in batches and adding oil if necessary. Transfer sausage to a bowl.
• Pour off any fat from pan. Add onions, garlic and red pepper, cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in pasta sauce, tomato sauce, basil, oregano and fennel seeds; bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from bottom of pan. Return sausage and any accumulated juices to pan; cover and simmer for 15 minutes or until sausage is firm throughout.
• Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta for 6 minutes, add spinach;cook for 1 minute. Drain well and return to pot. Add sausage mixture and provolone/mozzarella cheese; stir to combine well.
• Transfer to 2 greased 8-inch square baking dishes or 1 13x9-inch dish. Sprinkle with Asiago/parmesan cheese. Cover dish with greased foil, greased side down.
• To serve: Bake, covered with foil, in in 375 degree F. oven for 30 minutes or for 1 hour if from the refrigerator. This freezes beautifully (thaw in refrigerator before baking).

ZESTY ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA

Steps:

• Prepare sausage according to directions. Cool slightly; cut into 1/4-in. slices. Prepare pasta according to package directions.
• In a large saucepan, saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until tender. Stir in tomatoes and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer. Add the broccoli and cooked pasta. Cook until broccoli is tender, about 5 minutes. Add sausage; toss to combine.

CREAMY ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA

Steps:

• Cook pasta according to package direction. In a large skillet, cook sausage in oil and butter over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add red pepper and onion; cook and stir until vegetables are tender and sausage is no longer pink. add wine or broth; cook for 2 minutes. Add the cream, cheese, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. reduce heat; cook over low heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally., Drain pasta. In a large bowl, combine sausage mixture and pasta. Before serving, sprinkle with parsley.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA SKILLET

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions.
• Mix together the ricotta and lemon zest in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper; set aside.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Tear the sausage into 1- to 2-inch chunks and place in the skillet. Cook for 60 to 90 seconds, then flip and cook for an additional minute. Add the oregano, crushed red pepper, garlic and onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Stir in the broccolini and jarred peppers. Using a ladle, remove 2/3 cup cooking water from the pasta pot and add to the skillet. Cook until the sauce is thickened and the broccolini is softened, about 3 minutes.
• Drain the pasta once cooked.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the pasta, lemon juice, yellow tomatoes and Parmesan. Dollop on the ricotta mixture; tear the basil leaves into large pieces and sprinkle them over the skillet. Serve the bread alongside the pasta, whole or torn into large chunks.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE PASTA

Steps:

• Start browning the Italian Sausage. After 3-4 minutes add the onion and continue cooking until the sausage is browned and the onions are soft. Reduce the heat to low. Add the garlic, marjoram, black pepper, rosemary, thyme leaves, and crushed red pepper cooking for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Plate the sausage mixture and cover with foil.
• Meanwhile cook the pasta according to package instructions and drain well.
• Add the chicken broth to the skillet working to deglaze the bottom and collect all the brown bits. Add the heavy cream to the skillet. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Let it reduce by about half.
• Turn the heat to low and stir in the parmesan cheese, sundried tomatoes and spinach. Continue cooking until the cheese is melted and the spinach is wilted. Add the sausage mixture and pasta to the skillet. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Continue cooking over low heat until the pasta dish is heated through.
• NOTES Several shapes of medium pasta will work with this dish including penne, ziti, rotini, elbow, medium shells, and cavatappi. Use a spoon to break up the Italian sausage so you have some small pieces and a few larger pieces. Variety is good. The cream and chicken broth mixture can take up to 20 minutes to reduce so plan accordingly. Reduce by about 50%. Drain the oil from the sundried tomatoes. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave. Because of the amount of cream I do not recommend freezing this dish. It would not harm you. It just would not be as appetizing or aesthetically appealing.

ITALIAN SAUSAGE & PASTA POT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan and fry the sausages until brown all over. Pour in the hot chicken stock and simmer with a lid on for 10 mins.
• Add the pasta to the pan, mix well and bring to the boil. Stir in the carrots and onions, cook for 5 mins, then add the celery and beans, and cook for a further 4 mins. Check that the pasta is cooked - if not, cook for a few minutes longer. Finally, stir in chopped parsley, season, and serve in large bowls.

PASTA E FAGIOLI (ITALIAN SOUP) WITH ITALIAN SAUSAGE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium high heat.
• Cook onion in oil 2 minutes.
• Stir in garlic, celery and carrots and cook for 3 minutes.
• Add and brown crumbled sausage.
• Add basil, oregano and red pepper.
• Toss to coat.
• Stir in tomatoes and stock.
• Bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes.
• If necessary, add an additional cup of stock or water and stir in beans and tiny pasta.
• Simmer for 6- 8 minutes or until pasta is tender.
• Stir in parsley and serve hot with grated Parmesan cheese.