Posts Tagged ‘pasta’

Italian Sausage Peppers and Pasta, oh my…. 
While at my Weight Watchers meeting today not only did I lose some weight, (yay me!!!) but I found an awesome Italian recipe.  I love the idea of having Italian food made healthy, and this dish has it all spicy sausage, red wine and fire-roasted tomatoes. 
Recipe follows the pictures

 Ingredients:

1/2 pound(s) raw turkey sausage, Italian-style, casings removed    

 2 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin    

  2 medium yellow pepper(s), cut into 2-inch long thin strips    

  1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced    

 1/2 cup(s) red wine    

  1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic    

  28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted recommended    

 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste    

 1/4 tsp table salt    

  8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fusilli    

 1/3 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped     

1/2 pound(s) raw turkey sausage, Italian-style, casings removed    

 2 tsp olive oil, extra-virgin    

  2 medium yellow pepper(s), cut into 2-inch long thin strips    

  1 medium onion(s), thinly sliced    

 1/2 cup(s) red wine    

  1 1/2 Tbsp minced garlic    

  28 oz canned crushed tomatoes, fire-roasted recommended    

 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, or less to taste    

 1/4 tsp table salt    

  8 oz uncooked whole-wheat pasta, fusilli    

 1/3 cup(s) basil, fresh, chopped    

Directions:
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Meanwhile, to make sauce, in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage, stirring and breaking up meat with back of a wooden spoon, until cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes; remove to a plate.

Heat oil in same skillet. Add yellow peppers and onion; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are lightly colored and crisp-tender, about 5 minutes.

Add wine and garlic; cook until most of liquid evaporates, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, crushed red pepper, salt and browned sausage; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer until vegetables are tender and sauce is heated through, about 10 minutes.

While sauce simmers, add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package instructions. Drain pasta; return to pot. Add sauce and basil; toss to mix and coat. Yields about 1 1/3 cups per serving. 

My “Junior Chef” Garrett told me this morning that raviolis should be for dinner tonight.  I told him, “Great! You can make them.” “Make them?” he asked. “Yep, we’ll make them completely from scratch.” 

Adding the filling

Ready for the wter

Ready to eat

Garrett says "num num num num"

Ingredients
The filling
1 lb fresh spinach
1 lb ricotta cheese, thoroughly drained
1 egg
4 oz parmigiano reggiano cheese, freshly grated
salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg

The dough
3 cups flour
4 eggs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 

Directions
Boil the spinach in lightly salted water. Place the boiled spinach in a cheese cloth and form a small sack. Squeeze the sack to expel as much water as possible. Chop the spinach finely

Place the spinach in a bowl. Combine the drained ricotta, egg, parmigiano cheese, salt, pepper, and a generous pinch of nutmeg. Taste and adjust the salt, pepper, and nutmeg if necessary

To prepare the pasta dough: Combine all the ingredients, mix the dough so it is very soft and moist. Use the minimum flour necessary, just enough to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands while working.
Cut the dough in two parts.
Place one of the pieces on the work surface, and flatten it with a rolling pin until it is very thin.
 Repeat the same steps with the other half of the dough, making a pasta sheet of the same size.
Set it aside, covered with a moist towel if necessary to prevent the pasta from drying too much. 

Place about 1 teaspoon of the filling on the dough, spaced 2 inches apart. 

Bring water to a boil in a stockpot. Gently drop the ravioli in the boiling water a few at a time 

Cook until the pasta is al dente (firm but not too soft or overcooked). Drain ravioli, picking them from the boiling water with a slotted spoon

Serve with your favorite sauce.   Cheers!!!