6.22.2005

Penne & Castellane with Spicy Italian Sausage & Pecorino Romano

Ever just have bits of ingredients left in the fridge and pantry? Hungry but too lazy to go grocery shopping and whip up a fabulous meal? That seems to be the story for me a lot. Usually I'll settle for a small mound of rice and some bahn-chan (Korean side dishes) and watch a
bit of Food TV, but today... today was the day to do something useful with all those lonely leftovers lying around. And what better to make than pasta.

about 1 lb penne + castellane
2 spicy italian sausage
1/2 red onion
2 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
pasta seasoning
pecorino romano

1. Bring large pot of water to boil. Add a good amount of kosher salt. First put in pasta that will take longer. Wait __(the difference in cooking time) minutes and throw in the other pasta. Or go easy on yourself and use one type. But hey, that was what I had left over. I wouldn't try to mix long pasta with bite-sized ones though.
2. Chop onion and garlic and saute with a few drizzles of olive oil for few minutes and season. Squeeze sausage out of casing and saute with onion and garlic, breaking it up with a spoon or spatula.
3. Add 1/2 jar of tomato sauce, pinch of red pepper flakes and pasta seasoning (I used Trader Joe's). Taste and reseason as necessary.
4. When pasta is done, strain and place in sauce pan. Toss a bit to let the pasta soak up some of the flavor Add a handful of grated pecorino.
5. Optional: Break out your fanciest olive oil and pour a light drizzle over the hot pasta and a sprinkle of parsley.

Flexible and easy, Leftovers Pasta is my style. Now only if I can use up the roasted red pepper and goat cheese. Do I hear salad? Omelet? Sandwich?

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