Pappardelle Pasta with Italian Sausage ala ~DKBB~

Pappardelle Pasta with Italian Sausage ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe & photo from www.spendwithpennies.com)

8.8 oz. dry pappardelle pasta

1 lb. Italian sausage
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1½ Tbsp. tomato paste
1-2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 (or more) Tbsp. Italian seasoning
2 tsp. basil
1/3 cup red wine
1 14 oz. can crushed tomatoes (or you can use diced tomatoes)
½ tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cracked pepper
1 cup pasta water (reserved)
Grated cheese of your choice (I use Parmigiano Reggiano)
Fresh basil, chiffonade

• Bring a large pot of water to a boil to cook the pasta.
• While the water is heating, add olive oil to a large pan/skillet.
• Once the oil is hot, add the sausage and brown until it is not longer pink; break it up well as it cooks (you don’t want chunks of meat).
• Add onions and garlic to the browned sausage; sauté for 1 minute.
• Add tomato paste, Italian seasoning, and red pepper flakes; cook for another minute and let the tomato paste caramelize.
• Deglaze the pan by adding the wine and scraping the bottom to release any brown bits; let the wine cook to half the quantity (and to where you can’t smell the alcohol any longer).
• Add tomatoes, salt, sugar, and pepper; reduce heat, cover, and let cook for 5-6 minutes.
• By now the water for the pasta should be boiling; add a little salt and the pasta; cook per pasta package instructions; when the pasta is done, drain it, reserving 1 cup of the pasta water.
• The tomato meat sauce should be well incorporated now, and you should see a thin layer of fat on the top; taste and add more seasonings per your taste.
• Toss the cooked pasta along ½ cup of the pasta water (add the other ½ cup only if you feel it necessary).
• Garnish with grated cheese and fresh basil, tossing well to incorporate.

Lasagna Soup ala ~DKBB~

Lasagna Soup ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from tasteofhome.com)

Olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ lb. ground beef
½ lb. Italian sausage
Pinch of oregano (and/or any other spices you prefer, such as Italian seasoning, basil, etc.)

Salt and cracked pepper  
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups marinara sauce
3 cups chicken broth
½ cup heavy cream
½ box of lasagna noodles
½ cup parmesan cheese or Parmigiana Reggiano

Rind(s) from Parmigiana Reggiano

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped
Ricotta cheese

Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat, add chopped onions and sauté for 5-7 minutes; add garlic, ground beef, sausage, salt, and pepper, along with any seasoning(s) you want; cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the meat is browned.
To the same pot, add the tomato paste, marinara sauce, chicken broth, heavy cream, and cheese rind; stir and bring to a boil.
Break the lasagna noodles into medium-sized pieces and add to the boiling pot; stir occasionally and let cook for around 10 minutes or until the noodles become al dente.
Once the pasta is al dente, add the cheese and stir; remove the cheese rind; serve in bowls, topped with dollops of ricotta and fresh basil.

Creamy Alfredo Lasagna Soup ala ~DKBB~

Creamy Alfredo Lasagna Soup ala ~DKBB~

(original recipe from www.smalltownwoman.com)

 

½ lb. ground Italian sausage

photo from
www.smalltownwoman.com

1 small onion, chopped
8 oz. sliced cremini mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups baby spinach, stems removed
5 cups chicken broth
5 lasagna noodles, broken into smallish pieces
1 tsp. dried oregano
½ tsp. dried basil
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour (I use Wondra)
1 cup milk
½ to 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
1 piece rind from Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (optional)

• Brown sausage in large cooking pot over medium heat.
• Add onions and mushrooms, cooking another 5-6 minutes over medium-low heat.
• Add spinach and garlic, cooking for 1 minute while stirring.
• Add chicken broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add oregano and basil and broken lasagna noodles, stirring well, and bring to a low boil.
• Cook for 10-12 minutes or until noodles are tender.
• Meanwhile, in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat melt butter; whisk flour into melted butter and continue cooking for 1 minute, whisking constantly until mixture is bubbling.
• Slowly whisk in milk until mixture is smooth and thickened, about 3-5 minutes.
• Turn off heat and slowly whisk in cheese; when cheese is fully incorporated and mixture is creamy, slowly whisk into soup mixture.

Serve with garlic bread or a hearty artisan bread.

Zucchini Pizza Casserole ala ~DKBB~

Zucchini Pizza Casserole ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from tasteofhome.com)

3 to 4 cups grated zucchini

½ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
½ c. grated Parmesan cheese
2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese, divided
1 lb. ground beef
½ lb. Italian sausage
½ c. chopped onion
⅓ c. chopped green pepper
1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 4oz can mushrooms, drained
Italian seasoning to taste
35 to 50 small pieces pepperoni, cut in quarters
Fresh basil, chopped, as garnish

• Preheat oven to 400° F.
  
• Place grated zucchini in colander and sprinkle with salt; let stand 10 minutes, then squeeze out the moisture.
• Combine zucchini with eggs, Parmesan, and half of the mozzarella and cheddar cheeses; press into a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish; bake 20 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef, Italian sausage, onion, and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain as needed; add garlic and cook another 2 minutes; add mushrooms, tomato sauce, and Italian seasoning and simmer while the zucchini crust bakes.
• When crust is done, remove from oven and lower oven temperature to 375° F.
  
• Spoon meat mixture over zucchini crust, cover with pepperoni, and sprinkle all with remaining cheeses; bake 15 to 20 minutes.

Garnish with fresh, chopped basil if desired.

Freeze option: Cool baked casserole completely; cover and freeze. To use, partially thaw in fridge overnight; remove from fridge 30 minutes before baking; preheat oven to 350° F; unwrap casserole; reheat on a lower oven rack until heated through and a thermometer inserted in center reads 165° F.

Sausage & Polenta

Sausage and Polenta with Balsamic Vinaigrette ala ~DKBB~
(original recipe from Better Homes & Gardens)

1/2 of a 16-oz. tube of refrigerated cooked polenta

1 Tbsp. olive oil

4 to 6 uncooked sausage links, each cut into 4 to 6 pieces (original recipe called for sweet Italian sausage, but I use combinations such as 2 to 3 sweet and 2 to 3 hot Italian sausages, or any such mixture of sweet/mild and hot/bold sausages)

1/2 c. apple juice

1/4 c. balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp. snipped dried tomatoes

1 8-oz. package mixed salad greens (a spinach mix works great)

• Preheat oven to 400° F; cut polenta into 1/4-inch slices, then cut each slice in half; brush polenta with oil; arrange in a single layer in a shallow baking pan; bake approximately 15 minutes or until light brown, turning once.
• Meanwhile, in a large skillet cook sausage over medium heat for 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly; remove sausage from skillet; drain off fat; wipe skillet with paper towels.
• Return sausage to skillet; add apple juice, balsamic vinegar, and dried tomatoes; bring to boiling; reduce heat; simmer, covered, for 8 to 10 minutes or until sausage is thoroughly cooked (no longer pink).
• To serve, divide salad greens among four dinner plates; arrange polenta slices and sausage pieces next to greens; drizzle remaining warm balsamic mixture over greens, polenta, and sausage. Makes 4 servings.

I had purchased some polenta at Trader Joe's in Lincoln when we were there around New Year's. I didn't have a clue what to make with it and came across this recipe on Yahoo Shine. I made it for Chuck's "welcome back from Alaska Study Away trip" last night and it was a huge hit. I wish I would have thought to take a photo before we ate, but we were both pretty hungry and I forgot.