Don’t know what to cook tonight? How about choosing form three easy pasta recipes.
EASY RECIPE
EASY PENNE RIGATE JALAPENO CHICKEN
I discovered a great jalapeno chicken sausage at Whole Foods and matched it with Sue’s garden fresh peas, oregano and basil to come up with an easy meal for family or friends. Just follow the step by step directions and enjoy!
Recipe serves four.
Ingredients:
1 lb. jalapeno chicken sausage
1 – 14.5 oz can tomato sauce
1- 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes
1/4 cup peas
1/3 onion – minced
1/3 red bell pepper – diced
1/4 cup red wine
2 cloves garlic – diced
1 Tbsp fresh oregano – diced
1 Tbsp fresh basil – diced
8 oz Penne Rigate pasta
Preparation:
In large sauce pan heat tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Add diced oregano, basil, garlic, red bell pepper and wine.
Brown sausage with skin on. Remove from fry pan and cut into bite size rounds.
Saute onion.
Add sausage and onion to sauce bring to boil and reduce to simmer.
In large pot bring water to boil and then add pasta. Reduce to strong simmer until pasta is al dente. Place peas in colander and drain pasta in the colander to heat the peas.
Plate pasta and peas, add sauce with sausage, top with parmesan cheese, and garnish plate with sprig of fresh basil.
EASY RECIPE
SPAGHETTI WITH SMOKE MEATBALLS
Home from work, tired, but you need to put out a great dinner for the family or friends. Try my super easy step by step recipe for spaghetti with smoke flavored meatballs. All you need is some liquid smoke. If you don’t have any liquid smoke get some next time you’re at the grocery store, it lasts forever in the refrigerator.
Recipe serves 4.
Ingredients:
Spaghetti
Parmesan cheese
Meatballs:
1 lb. ground beef
1 tsp basil
½ tsp cumin
½ tsp fennel seed
2 tsp Parmesan cheese
2 cloves garlic – diced
1 tsp liquid smoke
salt and pepper – dash
Sauce:
1 – 15oz. can diced tomatoes
1 – 15 oz can tomato sauce
¼ onion – diced
¼ green bell pepper – diced
¼ C fresh basil – chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 ½ tsp oregano (dried)
¼ tsp red chili pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:
Add to a large bowl the ground beef and all meatball ingredients. Mix ingredients together by to hand to assure the spices are evenly distributed. Form mixture into 8 meatballs.
Heat one tsp olive oil in a large fry pan and then cook meatballs at medium high heat for 14 minutes, turning the meatballs often to brown on all sides. Remove cooked meatballs from pan, and cover them with aluminum foil.
Saute onions in small amount of olive oil.
To a large sauce pot add the onions and other sauce ingredients. Bring to light boil and reduce heat to simmer and cover. The sauce will simmer while you prepare the spaghetti.
Boil water and prepare spaghetti as directed on the package.
Plate sauce, top with spaghetti and meatballs. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Add garnish of fresh basil, and it’s dinner time.
EASY RECIPE
LANGOSTINO PENNETTE.
The following is a step by step recipe for an easy pasta dinner for four. For a complete meal prepare a nice fresh salad side dish.
Ingredients:
14 oz Trader Joe’s frozen bag of Langostino Tails
4 Sun Dried Tomatoes – sliced into ¼” strips (from store bought jar)
1 C Onion – diced
1 – 14 0z can Tomato Sauce
2 Tbsp fresh Basil – chopped
2 Tbsp garlic – minced
1 tsp fresh Oregano – diced
1 tsp fresh Thyme – minced
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Tbsp butter
½ C – half and half cream
2 0z – American Honey Whiskey
2 C – Pennette Pasta – cooked per box directions
French Bread – sliced
In the large pot you will use to make the sauce, first melt butter, add onion, sauté for 2 minutes, add sun dried tomatoes and garlic and simmer for 2 minutes. Stir while simmering. Add the American Honey, stir for a minute or two, and then add the tomato sauce. Bring to boil, add all the herbs and reduce to low simmer. After 10 minutes of simmering add half and half, stir and continue at low simmer.
Under cold running water thaw a 14 oz bag of Trader Joes’s pre-cooked Langostino Tails. Drain and store in fridge . 
Slice French Bread.
Bring a large pot of water to boil, add the Pennette Pasta. When pasta is done, drain water from pasta, and set pasta aside.
Bring the sauce to a boil and add the Langostino Tails, and then reduce to strong simmer for 5 minutes.
In each of 4 large soup bowls place a serving of pasta. Next add sauce with Langostino Tails, and top with Parmesan cheese. Add a couple slices of French Bread and get ready for a great easy meal.
Good Eating and Table Talk,
Roger
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