Spicy Sausage Pasta

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 of an onion, chopped
• 13 oz smoked turkey sausage, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 1/4 cups chicken broth
• 10 oz can Ro-Tel tomatoes & green chiles
• 1/2 cup half and half
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 10-12 oz uncooked bowtie pasta
• 4 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 2 medium green onions, diced

Directions:

1. In a large skillet or sauté pan, add the olive oil and bring over medium heat.
2. Add the onions and sausage to the pan and cook for 5-6 minutes until sausage is browned and onions are tender.
3. Add the garlic and stir cooking for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add the broth, Ro-Tel, half and half, salt, and pepper and mix together.
5. Add the uncooked pasta and stir together until the liquid covers the pasta.
6. Cover the skillet and bring the mixture to a boil.
7. Reduce the heat to medium-low and keep covered.
8. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the pasta is cooked.
9. Set your oven to broil and make sure one of your oven racks is in the top 1/3 of the oven.
10. Remove the pan from the heat and mix in half of the shredded cheese.
11. Transfer the pasta into a baking dish.
12. Sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top of the pasta.
13. Place the dish in the top 1/3 of the oven and broil for a few minutes until the cheese is melted and beginning to brown.
14. Remove from oven and sprinkle the green onions on top.

Source:  http://becksterslaboratory.wordpress.com/2014/03/15/spicy-sausage-pasta/

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1.5 pounds hot Italian sausage
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 28 ounce can tomato sauce
• 1 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
• 1 28 ounce can tomato puree
• 3/4 cup dark red wine, we use Burgundy
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tbl Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Cayenne pepper
• 1 tbl salt
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3-4 shakes tabasco sauce

Directions:

1. Brown sausage and drain if necessary.
2. Add onions and garlic and cook about 5 minutes.
3. Add tomato sauce, crushed tomatoes and tomato puree.  Stir well to combine.
4. Add ketchup and wine.  Stir.
5. Add spices, salt and sugar.
6. Bring to a boil, stirring.
7. Reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 2 hours.  Taste along the way and adjust seasoning.

Source:  Marks family recipe

Note:  If you don’t like spice, use mild sausage and omit the Cayenne and tabasco.  If you do like spice, you can also add crushed red pepper flakes to taste.

Turkey & Spinach Pasta Bake

Ingredients

• 13 oz. box penne pasta
• ½ lb. (8 oz.) frozen cut spinach
• 3 links (12 oz.) Italian turkey sausage
• 2 cups ( 8 oz.) shredded Italian cheese blend
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp dried basil
• pinch red pepper flakes
• Freshly cracked pepper
• 24 oz. jar (3 cups) marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Begin boiling a large pot of water. Once the water is boiling, cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain the pasta in a colander, then return it to the pot with the heat turned off. Add the marinara sauce and stir to combine.
2. Meanwhile, squeeze the sausage out of its casing into a large skillet. Cook over medium heat until the sausage is fully browned, breaking it into small pieces with a spoon as it cooks. Drain the excess fat if needed.
3. Allow the spinach to thaw at room temperature, or use the microwave to defrost until the spinach is softened, but not hot to the touch (warm is okay). Add half of the shredded cheese (1 cup) to the spinach, along with the garlic powder, basil, a pinch of red pepper flakes, and some freshly cracked pepper. Stir until the spinach, cheese, and seasonings are well combined.
4. Coat a 9×9 inch casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread half of the sauce coated pasta over the bottom of the dish. Evenly distribute the spinach mixture over the pasta and then add the browned sausage on top. Add the second half of the pasta and then top with the remaining 1 cup of cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until heated through and the cheese on top is melted.

Source: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2013/11/turkey-spinach-pasta-bake/

Pizza Meatloaf

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1/3 cup Italian bread crumbs
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup finely chopped pepperoni
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 8-oz. can pizza sauce
• 3/4 lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground sausage
• 1 cup grated pizza cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 8 slices pepperoni
• ripe olive slices

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In microwave-safe bowl, place onions and garlic; sprinkle with a bit of water. Microwave on high for 2 minutes, stirring once during cooking, until vegetables are tender. Place in large bowl along with bread crumbs, salt, pepper, pepperoni, and egg; mix well. Add half of the pizza sauce and the ground meats; mix well to blend.Press meat mixture into 9″ round cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and drain off fat. Top loaf with remaining pizza sauce and return to oven. Bake 30 minutes longer until internal temperature registers 160 degrees F.

Sprinkle with cheeses and arrange pepperoni and olives on top of cheese. Return to oven and bake 5-10 minutes longer until cheese melts. Cut into wedges to serve.

Source:  http://busycooks.about.com/od/groundbeefrecipes/r/pizzamtloaf.htm

Creamy Zuppa Toscana

Ingredients

• 3 cans (14 oz) chicken broth
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 lb Italian Sausage
• ½ pound bacon
• 4 russet potatoes
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2½ cups chopped spinach
• salt and pepper (to taste)

Instructions

1. Cook and crumble the bacon. Set aside on a plate lined with a paper towel. Cook the sausage and set aside.
2. Skin each potato and slice in half and make about ¼ inch slices. You can slice these into fourths making the potatoes more bite sized.
3. Bring a large pot with the chicken broth to a boil. Boil the potatoes for about 10 minutes or until tender.
4. While the potatoes are boiling, saute the onion and garlic until tender and set aside.
5. Once potatoes are tender, add sausage, onion, garlic, and chopped spinach to the pot. Boil for a couple of minutes until the spinach starts to wilt. Reduce heat and add heavy cream.
6. Cook until heated through and add salt and pepper to taste.

Source:  http://therecipecritic.com/2013/11/creamy-zuppa-toscana/

Spicy Sausage & Broccoli Pasta

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic
• ½ tsp crushed red pepper
• ½ lb. Italian sausage
• 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets
• 1 lb. bow tie pasta
• 2 oz. (1/2 cup) smoked gouda
• 2 oz. (1/2 cup) shredded Italian cheese
• to taste salt & pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package directions (boil for 7-10 minutes or until al dente). Drain in a colander.
2. While the pasta is cooking, begin the rest of the dish. Mince the garlic. Heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 1-2 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes and saute for 1 minute more.
3. Squeeze the Italian sausage out of the casing into the skillet. Break it up with a spatula as it cooks. Saute until cooked through. Add the broccoli (thaw before hand) to the skillet and saute for 3-5 minutes or just until the broccoli is tender. Turn off the burner to prevent the broccoli from over cooking (it will begin to turn an olive green color if it overcooks).
4. When the pasta is cooked and drained, add it to the skillet with the sausage and broccoli. Stir to coat it in the garlic and red pepper infused oil. Sprinkle with salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste. Sprinkle with shredded cheese, stir, and serve warm!

Source: http://www.budgetbytes.com/2012/02/spicy-sausage-broccoli-pasta/

Quick Mac Dinner

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon of butter
• ¼ of a cooked Polish sausage, sliced
• ¼ of a medium onion, chopped
• ½ of a green pepper, cut in ½ inch pieces
• 1 14.5 oz. can of stewed tomatoes, in the Italian style with basil, garlic and oregano (add seasoning if using plain tomatoes)
• 1 cup of frozen corn
• 2 teaspoons of paparika
• 2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup of water
• 1 box of Mac and cheese
• 1 tablespoon of butter

Directions

Bring salted water (1 ½ qt. of water) to a boil in a 2 qt. sauce pan. Melt the tablespoon of butter in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Slice the Polish sausage and add to the pan. Chop the onion and green pepper and add to the pan. Stir and cook until the onion is tender. Stir in the frozen corn. Continue to stir and cook until the corn has thawed. Add the can of tomatoes and the liquid. Add the seasonings and the ¼ cup of water, stir well and cover the pan. Reduce the heat to medium low. Simmer for about 30 minutes to allow the flavors to develop. Remove lid and continue to simmer until the liquid has reduced a bit.

After the macaroni has cooked, remove from heat and drain. Return to the pan and stir in 1 tablespoon of butter and the powdered cheese. Mix well.

Add the meat and tomato mixture to the macaroni and stir to blend. Cover the pan and sit over very low heat until ready to serve. Stir about every 5 minutes to keep it from burning.

Source: http://dwittopinions.wordpress.com/2013/07/26/quick-mac-dinner/