Food For Thought

Have you ever had a craving for something that makes no sense with the season, weather, or even the time of day?? Breakfast for dinner is generally my folly, but the other night I really wanted baked pasta…on the hottest day ever in June. Something is wrong with me. Luckily, my roommates are complacent to eat whatever I make, generally. Unfortunately, when I opened the fridge that evening, the only vegetables we had were baby carrots and some limp lettuce. Needless to say, I took the time to walk to the store and get some real food.

I realize now that squeezing sausage out of it’s casing is not such a strange thing to do, but it had never even crossed my mind before reading some of Alton Brown’s recipes. Not only does it allow you to use the meat in many other ways, but it’s an interesting experience, at least when it’s your first time (I am still a bit tactilely defensive, and sausage casings are slimy). However, since doing it, I am considering all the new possibilities I have using sausage meats instead of plain ground ones.

So in my first venture into Italian cooking from scratch, this Irish-Polish-Greek cook made something that garnered a welcome, “YUM!!” from my Italian roommates and placed this dish on my top three list of things to make again. It should serve 8, but 4 hungry college guys demolished it in one sitting…heh.

Crunchy Cheesy Baked (Rotini) (You can use any pasta you like, but I’d stick with the heartier varieties like Rotini or Penne so it doesn’t turn into mush when you bake it)

SAUCE
5 cloves garlic, minced
5 sweet Italian sausages, squeezed from casings
3 medium tomatoes, diced
2 medium green peppers, diced
½ large red onion, diced
1 ½ Tbsp Italian seasoning
Salt
Pepper
1 24oz jar pasta sauce (or homemade if you prefer)

PASTA
1 lb whole wheat rotini
Olive oil
Salt
1 heaping Tbsp fresh basil ribbons*

TOPPING
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs
¼ cup parmesan cheese, crumbled
½ cup shredded mozzarella or jack cheese

In a large skillet, season the sausage with salt and pepper and cook until browned. Add in the diced vegetables and garlic and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 6 minutes. Add in the Italian seasoning and the pasta sauce and simmer for at least 30 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and the mixture looks homogeneous.

Cook the pasta for about 3 minutes less than the package says leaving it more al dente than usual. In a large bowl combine the pasta, sauce, and fresh basil. Pour this mixture into an ungreased 9×13 pan, and cover with the topping. Bake at 375F for about 20 minutes, or until the top is golden and everything is bubbly. Serves 8.

*Basil ribbons: Place all of the fresh basil leaves on top of each other, and roll tightly into a tube. Slice the tube along the short axis forming small “ribbons” of basil.