Tag: italian

Pasta with Creamy Red Sauce & Sausage

Here is a new recipe for Make It and Bake It with Beth, one that was never to be seen on Bake It and Make It with Beth! I was actually surprised that this recipe was not on the old blog. I had bought some italian sausage the other day, and I was craving this recipe last night. I started searching on the old blog, and I realized that I had never posted this recipe, even though it is one that we really enjoy in our home. Not only is this a good and satisfying meal, it is also pretty easy to make. This pasta dish has a creamy red sauce and lots of tasty pieces of italian sausage. I was running low on Parmesan cheese, so I barely used any at all, and so this ingredient is now totally optional! Greg had over three servings of this pasta dish last night!

You can add in fresh basil if you have it, too. In the past, I have used fresh basil in the recipe, but did not have any on hand. I was going to substitute dried basil but could not find any, so went with some dried oregano instead. We hope you will also love this flavorful, rich, and comforting pasta with creamy red sauce and sausage! Enjoy.

Recipe for Pasta with Creamy Red Sauce & Sausage

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 pound of mild Italian sausage with casings removed
  • 1/2 tsp. of dried crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced (use a garlic press)!
  • 26 – 28 ounces of chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
  • Salt and pepper
  • a pinch or two of dried oregano
  • 12 ounces of Penne pasta
  • fresh basil leaves (optional)
  • grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Put a large pot of water with a large pinch of salt over high heat to bring to a boil. While waiting on the water to boil, begin the sausage and creamy red sauce.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a very large skillet. Once oil is hot, add in the sausage. Break up the sausage, using a wooden spoon. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes. Continue breaking up sausage and cooking until the sausage is no longer pink in the middle and cooked through (about 6 – 9 minutes). Add the chopped onion to the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, stir, and cook for another minute. Then add in the crushed tomatoes, scraping up the browned bit on the bottom of the pan. Stir and cook for one minute. Stir in the heavy cream. Add salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Adjust heat to medium-low and allow sauce to simmer for 6 more minutes, stirring frequently. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta.

Once water comes to a boil, add the Penne pasta to the pot. Stir. Cook, according to the package directions, to al dente. Drain pasta in a colander. Add the pasta to the pan of sausage and creamy red sauce. Stir to coat. Add in the basil and Parmesan, if using. Serve pasta on plates or in bowls. Sprinkle on some freshly ground pepper, if desired. Enjoy!

Recipe Adapted from: Epicurious


Garlic Press  — saves tons of time when minced garlic is involved!

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Zuppa Toscana

Hearty and savory soup with sausage, kale, and potatoes.

This zuppa toscana soup is AMAZING. I made this soup for the first time almost ten years ago, and I have continued to make it several times since then. When I serve this soup at parties, almost everyone who tries it asks me for the recipe. It is so flavorful – it’s made with kale, potatoes, and sausage.  The flavor is so perfect and all I can say is that it is just so delicious. There are barely any meals that my husband truly raves about, but he always is impressed by this zuppa toscana. I hope you will enjoy the soup as much as we do.

Recipe for Zuppa Toscana

INGREDIENTS

1 pound of mild ground Italian sausage
1 large yellow onion, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup of dry white wine or white cooking wine (to deglaze the pan)
1/2 – 1 tsp. of red pepper flakes
2 large or 4 small russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups of kale, chopped to your desired size
4 cups of chicken broth
2 cups of water
3/4 cup of heavy cream
Salt and pepper

DIRECTIONS

Place a large stockpot on the stovetop over medium heat. Put the sausage in the pan and cook until it is browned and fully cooked through. Remove the sausage from the pan using a slotted spoon and transfer it to a bowl. Add the chopped onions to the pan and saute for about 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic and red pepper flakes to the pan and cook for one minutes. Pour the wine into the pot and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any browned bits (when you pour the wine in, a lot of steam might come up). Add in the chicken broth, water, potatoes, and kale to the pot. Put the sausage back into the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once it begins to boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Let the soup simmer for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Stir in the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Recipe Adapted from: Annie’s Eats

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