Spaghetti con Salsiccia (Spaghetti with Sausage)

[fitfool]

My cooking efforts lately had run into a string of lackluster results. The asparagus risotto was too salty and kind of bland at the same time. The chicken and garlic stew was easy but a little too tender (probably cooked it too long). My corn muffins came out tasteless and dry. The potato croquettes were a flop. I couldn't get the mashed potato mixture to hold its shape no matter how much flour I added. And then when I tried to just bake the whole thing to try to reduce some of the moisture, I forgot about it and came back to find a charred and blackened lump. So sad.

So Thursday night, I was looking for something to redeem cooking at home in my eyes. If I'm going to put the time and effort into puttering around the kitchen, I want to be be able to eat the final products with self-satisfied contentment.

And I scored big with this dish. I even threw it together all by myself. It was simple to make. I loved how it tasted. Compliments came from both roommates. This was what I wanted. I could easily see this being served up in a good Italian restaurant.

For dessert, I had planned these carrot cupcakes that were so good they ended up being appetizers since we ate those first.

This is an easy recipe that's ready in just 30 minutes. And to keep the good stuff coming? The Red Sox won to keep their playoff hopes going. Yay!

Spaghetti con Salsiccia (Spaghetti with Sausage)

1-2 pounds of Sweet Italian Sausage
1 onion, diced
about 1 Tbsp of Italian seasonings (I used a little dried thyme and basil, some rosemary, and a lot of oregano)
sprinkle of crushed red pepper (optional)
1 large can of crushed tomatoes (28 ounces)
1 lb spaghetti
salt
grated parmesan cheese

1. Bring a pot of salted water on stovetop to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package's instructions once the water's boiling.
   
   
2. While you wait for the water to boil, remove sausage meat from the casing and brown the meat over medium high heat. Break it up into little chunks.
   
   
3. While the meat cooks, dice up the onion and throw that in with the sausage too.
   
   
4. When the onions look translucent and the meat's getting a nice brown to it in parts, toss in the rest of the seasonings and the can of crushed tomatoes. Stir to mix and then lower the heat to a simmer. Let the sauce simmer until it loses a little bit of the moisture. It's generally ready by the time the pasta if finished cooking.
   
   
5. Serve the sauce over spaghetti and sprinkle some grated parmesan cheese on top.
   

Here's the sauce simmering on the stove top


Final dish. Spaghetti with Sausage.

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Comments

[razz.livejournal.com]

Wow, it looks delicious!

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[deltamiss.livejournal.com]

My GOSH that looks good!

*copying recipe*

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Thank you. Hope you like it when you make it.

[misscedar.livejournal.com]

That looks delicious!

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Thank you.

[jessacord.livejournal.com]

Mmmm, simple easy and a crowd pleaser!

[mithoviel.livejournal.com]

That looks really tasty. We'll have to try that!

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Let me know if you do try it. I love hearing that.

[zadok-allen.livejournal.com]

Johnsonville sells ground italian sausage that will save you the remove-from-casing step; the stores around here put it on sale every week or so and I keep the freezer stocked with it that way.

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

That would be nice. I'll look for that next time.

[angelninas.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm sorry about the risotto. You might like my Pesto Walnut Risotto. I don't add salt because the parm reggiano seems to give it the right amount.

I try to look at my cooking flops as learning experiences--not easy when I've worked so hard.

The pasta and sauce look wonderful!

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

Yes...I'll have to give them another try to see if I can get it right. But after a flop, it makes it harder to want to try it again.

[constant-reader.livejournal.com]

Easy, tasty recipe, but I might try to cook the tomato sauce for at least 30 minutes. There is a change in the flavor intensity of the tomatoes around then, even tomatoes that are canned.

Try to chill the coquettes in the refrigerator rather than adding more flour. Try buttermilk in the corn muffins, but I have to say that I am prone to adding everything in my corn muffins -- canned corn, canned chilis, cheese...

[fitfool.livejournal.com]

thanks for the tip about cooking tomatoes for 30 minutes.

I did chill the croquettes for a couple of hours but no luck.

[rachelpage.livejournal.com]

I'm excited to give this a try.