Penne with Sausage and Mushroom Ragu

Amy recently posted this recipe for Penne with Sausage and Mushroom Ragu that I knew would be right up our alley. Pasta is definitely my go-to for easy weeknight meals, SP loves mushrooms and Baby Girl loves sausage. Win-win.

This was a simple, delicious, hearty dinner that we all happily gobbled up.

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom Ragu
As seen on Very Culinary

1 pound penne pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small sweet onion, diced small
3 garlic cloves, minced
8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound Italian sausage
1/3 cup white wine
1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions.

In the meantime, heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for about 20 seconds. Add in mushrooms and cook until softened, about 3 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and the red pepper flakes. Add in sausage and cook, breaking up into small pieces until no pink remains, about 3 more minutes. Raise heat to high and pour in the wine; cook until evaporated. Add in tomatoes, along with their juice, and bring to a simmer.

Drain the pasta and add to the sauce, along with the spinach. Toss to coat and allow the leaves to wilt. Add in the Parmesan, taste, and season with salt and pepper if necessary.

Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Burritos

I've had my eye on Melissa's Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Burritos forever. I think the thing keeping me from making them was that she uses fresh, uncooked chorizo and I knew my supermarket only carried the fully cooked variety. In retrospect that seems like a silly reason to put off making them, but there you have it.

One recent Sunday Baby Girl and I spent a few hours together in the kitchen making these burritos and a batch of the sausage and spinach egg bake. I love having these easy breakfasts stored in the freezer for those mornings when I don't feel like cooking eggs (my go-to breakfast item).

Since my chorizo was already cooked I just chopped the links into small pieces and cooked them in the pan for a few minutes to crisp them up a bit. Using fully cooked sausage vs. fresh means there was a less even distribution of chorizo, but I enjoyed the bigger pieces of chorizo when I came across them in my burrito.

As for the recommendation to reheat these on a paper towel - do NOT forget that step. I'm kicking myself for not thinking of the paper towel trick earlier. I've reheated many a soggy breakfast burrito but these are perfect right out of the freezer. I can't wait to try some other fillings.

Chorizo and Egg Breakfast Burritos
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen

8 ounces chorizo
8 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
8 flour tortillas (large taco or fajitas size)

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chorizo and let it sizzle for about 5 minutes or until cooked through (my homemade version releases quite a bit of liquid, but it all cooks up in the end).

Push the chorizo to one side of the pan and pour in the eggs. Let the eggs sit for a few minutes, then stir to combine with chorizo. Continue to stir together until eggs are completely cooked. Remove from the heat and top with the cheese.

Set up the egg pan next to your stack of tortillas.

Divide the chorizo and egg mixture into 8 sections. Place 1/8 on the bottom half of one tortilla. Fold one vertical side in, then the other, then roll and tuck in the sides. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet or plate. Repeat with until all the mixture and tortillas have been used.

Wrap each burrito in plastic wrap and store them in a Ziploc freezer bag.

To reheat, place a frozen burrito on a paper towel and microwave on high for 1 minute. Test to see if it's done, adding another 30 seconds if needed. Cook time will depend on your microwave's power.

Skillet Baked Ziti with Sausage

Today I'm doing a guest post over at The Way to His Heart. Maeghan's baby boy is due in a few weeks and when she asked me to do a guest post I was thrilled. Maeghan and I met through our cooking board and I love her blog. Head on over to her blog check out the recipe I made.

Pasta with Sausage, Tomato and Corn

This is one of those dinners I threw together after realizing half the ingredients I was planning to use had gone bad. My original plan was to make Mary Ellen's Pasta with Chorizo, but the chorizo had reached a birthday and the red pepper was moldy. Luckily I had some grape tomatoes and Italian sausage in the freezer so I decided to wing it.

I seasoned the dish with some creole seasoning to try to mimic the flavors in the chorizo and thought I'd toss in some frozen corn. This ended up being a little too spicy for Baby Girl but SP and I really enjoyed it.

Pasta with Sausage, Tomato and Corn
A Taste of Home Cooking Original

8 ounces short cut pasta
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Italian sausage, casings removed
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
Creole seasoning, to taste
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions, reserving one cup of pasta cooking water once done. Drain and set aside.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook for about three minutes, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon, until it's starting to brown.

Add the scallions to the skillet, and cook for three minutes, until softened, stirring occasionally. Add the garlic, mushrooms and creole seasoning to taste. Cook another 3 minutes, until the mushrooms are soft and the sausage is cooked through.

Add the tomatoes to the skillet, and cook until starting to soften, about another 3 minutes. Add the chicken broth and heat for a minute. Stir in the pasta and the cheese, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water if needed. Season with salt and pepper, if needed, then toss to combine.

Italian Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup

I'm sorry for the lack of posts lately. We were very fortunate that Hurricane Sandy only caused us to lose power for a few days. As I'm sure you know, many people are still without power, lost their homes or businesses. It was a catastrophic storm for this area, especially my beloved Jersey Shore, a place we've taken Baby Girl many times in her short life.

I've still been cooking, but I've mostly been making meals I've already blogged about. And now there's a new wrinkle in my blogging - the end of daylight savings time. It gets dark around 5pm now and at that point I haven't even started dinner. I'll likely be photographing leftovers the next day until spring returns.

This Italian Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup is from my dear friend Melissa. As I've mentioned before, she only blogs about truly fantastic meals so I knew this soup would be a hit. This was actually my first time buying or cooking kale and I was surprised that we liked it. Kale is incredibly good for you, so that's an added bonus.

My sausage didn't have fennel but Melissa told me to just add dried oregano, which brightened up the flavor immensely. I also added some salt, which she left out of the original ingredient list but which I found necessary to bring out the fullness of the soup.

Italian Sausage, Potato and Kale Soup
As seen on Alosha's Kitchen

4 thick slices applewood smoked bacon, chopped
1 pound bulk Italian sausage (with fennel)
1 teaspoon dried oregano (if sausage doesn't have fennel)
1 large sweet onion, diced
4 large cloves garlic, minced
2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 quart chicken stock
1 cup half and half
1 cup water
1 bunch lacinato kale, chopped
Fresh ground black pepper
Kosher salt
Crushed red pepper flakes

Heat large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add bacon and fry until most of the fat is rendered and the pork is somewhat crisp. Drain the bacon on paper towels and pour off most of the fat from the pot, leaving the bottom just coated. Add the bacon back to the pot along with the Italian sausage. Cook the sausage for 4 or 5 minutes, breaking it into chunks with a wooden spoon, until no longer pink.

Add the onions and garlic and continue to cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the potatoes and stir to combine. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Cook until the potatoes are soft, about 10 minutes (test one with a fork). Pour in half and half and water and stir to heat through. Toss in the kale and stir until slightly wilted.

Season with fresh ground black pepper and salt, adding crushed red pepper flakes, as desired.

Recipe Swap: Cajun Mac and Cheese

It's recipe swap time again. I love these recipe swaps and I'm thrilled that the ladies who participate enjoy them as well. As I've mentioned before, Blogger's Choice is the most popular theme for the swaps since it allows everyone the freedom to pick any recipe they want from their assigned blog. In fact, people love it so much I've decided to alternate between a theme and Blogger's Choice starting the end of July and going into mid-October.

This time I was assigned my friend Christina's blog, Tales from a Mad Men Kitchen. Christina had a lot of recipes I wanted to try, but I've had my eye on this Cajun Mac and Cheese since I saw it in Food Network Magazine and was disappointed when I didn't get it for the Noodle Swap. It was an obvious pick for me since we love mac and cheese.


Mary Ellen, the blogger who made this for the Noodle Swap, thought the flavors were a little flat so I made some changes to make sure this had plenty of oomph. I think the brand of andouille used probably has a lot to do with the spice level. Ours had a nice kick to it. I also made my own Cajun Spice Mix, which added another layer of spice. I opted to swap the cheddar for pepper Jack, not thinking that Monterey Jack is a mild cheese. In the recipe below, I changed the cheese to half cheddar, half pepper Jack, which I think will work perfectly.

This had a definite kick to it. The sauce was a little runny the first night, but perfect for leftovers the next day after the pasta absorbed some of the liquid. If you make your own spice blend you can control the heat, leaving out the cayenne if spice isn't your thing and increasing it if you want more kick. The little bites of andouille and red pepper were great and the onion flavor was nice and mild from the scallions. It's also a gorgeous plate of food. Just look at those colors. I served the mac and cheese with a salad made with mixed greens, diced tomato, diced avocado and some frozen corn I defrosted, tossed with a simple vinaigrette made with rice vinegar, oil, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper. Super simple and delicious.

Cajun Mac and Cheese
Slightly Modified from Christina Cooks

Kosher salt
12 ounces wagon-wheel pasta
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
6 ounces andouille sausage, diced
2 cups thinly sliced scallions
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun spice blend (see below)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups whole milk
4 ounces Pepper Jack cheese, cut into cubes
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, cut into cubes

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, about 1 minute less than the label directs. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, combine the olive oil and sausage in a large skillet over high heat and cook, stirring, until the sausage starts to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the scallions and bell pepper and cook until the vegetables are slightly soft, about 3 more minutes. Add the Cajun spice and flour and cook, stirring, 2 more minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk and continue whisking until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 5 more minutes.

Add the pasta, cheese and reserved cooking water to the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook, tossing to coat the pasta in the sauce and melt the cheese, about 1 minute.

Cajun Spice Mix

3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

Stir together all the spices until evenly blended. Store in an airtight container.

Pasta with Sausage, Beans, and Mascarpone

If you've read this blog for any length of time you know that I have a weakness for cream sauces, especially in pasta dishes. I've seen this recipe for Orecchiette with Sausage, Beans, and Mascarpone floating around the blogosphere for awhile and figured it was time to see what all the fuss was about.


After looking at the ingredient list I knew my first task would be finding a substitute for mascarpone. I'm sure the stuff is great but I'd rather use ingredients that I already keep on hand then spend extra money for a specialty item. A quick Google search led me to this recipe at food.com. I really appreciated the tool to increase or decrease the serving size to adjust for different recipes. The original recipe yielded 10 ounces and I only needed 4 ounces or 1/2 cup. Easy peasy.

I subbed nugget pasta for the orecchiette simply because I had a box at home and, again, didn't want to spend the money for a specialty item when I had something else at home already. Next time pasta is on sale at my supermarket I plan to stock up on mini shells, so next time I'll use those. As the original blogger said, the crevice in the orecchiette/shells is perfect for cradling the sausage and beans, although the nuggets were fine in a pinch.

My only complaint about this dish was that there wasn't more sauce. I'm thinking about upping the amount of mascarpone ingredients next time to see if that helps. Otherwise this was outstanding, if a little spicy from the red pepper flakes. I've made them optional in the recipe below but if you like spice use them. I prefer my cream sauces mild, thankfyouverymuch.

If 1/2 pound of sausage seems like too little for 1 pound of pasta never fear; the beans more than make up for it. I wish I'd taken my own advice, though. I thought the pan seemed a little empty so I used a full pound of sausage and it overwhelmed the finished dish once everything else had been added. Next time I'll stick with a 1/2 pound.

Orecchiette with Sausage, Beans, and Mascarpone
Modified from Stirring the Pot

1 pound orecchiette or shell pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 pound Italian turkey sausage, casing removed
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 cup Marsala wine (you can also use brandy, sherry or Madeira)
1 (15-ounce) can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 ounces cream cheese
1/8 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon sour cream
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta reserving 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid.

In a large, heavy skillet warm the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and onions. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces as it browns. Continue cooking until the sausage is golden and the onions are tender. Add the garlic and stir, cooking about 1 minute until you can smell the garlic. Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup Marsala wine, scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

Add the beans, oregano, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes (if using) and cook for 2 more minutes. Add 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and stir. Add the cream cheese, heavy cream and sour cream and stir until it dissolves into a light sauce. Add the salt, pepper, and hot pasta. Stir until coated and serve.

Spicy Sausage Mac and Cheese

As soon as I saw Spicy Sausage Mac and Cheese on Cassie's weekly menu plan I knew I had to make it. We love spicy sausage but I wouldn't have thought to put it in mac and cheese. Brilliant, Cassie!


I didn't have luck with adding cream cheese to my mac and cheese sauce the last time I made it so I decided to turn this into a baked dish. I made it in the morning and baked it that night for dinner. Even though I tried to let the pasta and sauce cool before I mixed them together, the dish was a little dry. Next time I think I'll stick with a stove top version for that extra creaminess. I can't wait to make this again.

Spicy Sausage Macaroni and Cheese
Slightly Modified from Cassie Craves

1 pound macaroni or other short pasta
1 pound spicy sausage
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 cups milk
Salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ground mustard
Pinch of nutmeg
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions; drain.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook sausage until no longer pink. Set aside on paper towels to drain.

Heat butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan until melted, then add flour and cook one minute. Whisk in milk until smooth and slightly thickened. Season with ground mustard, nutmeg, salt and pepper to taste. Stir in cheddar cheese until melted.

Combine pasta, sausage, cherry tomatoes, and cheese sauce. Serve immediately.

Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream

One of my friends posted this recipe for Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream on Facebook recently, touting it as a delicious, easy weeknight meal. I'm always struggling to put meals on the menu that don't include chicken, so I was excited to try this.


One word - delicious. I really can't say enough good things about this recipe. It couldn't have been easier to make but the flavors were perfect with the spicy sausage, tomatoes, and richness from the cream. SP practically inhaled his bowl and said he could keep going back for more. And Baby Girl was also a big fan, which is an automatic winner in my book. This is definitely going on my must-make-again-soon list. I served the pasta with side salads made with homemade red wine vinaigrette (recipe coming tomorrow!)

Kitchen Quick Tip - Avoid a messy cutting board by using kitchen scissors to cut the tomatoes while they're still inside the can.

Bow Ties with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream
Modified from Allrecipes.com

1-lb package bow tie pasta
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound spicy Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional if you want more heat)
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28 ounce) can Italian-style plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water according to package directions; drain.

Heat oil in a large, deep skillet (large enough to hold the sauce and pasta) over medium heat. Cook sausage and pepper flakes (if using) until sausage is evenly brown. Add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is tender. Stir in tomatoes, cream, and salt. Simmer until mixture thickens, 8 to 10 minutes.

Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Spaghetti with Sausage, Kalamata Olives and Capers

This recipe for Spaghetti with Kalamata Olives and Capers is from the very first recipe swap I did on my cooking board. Brianna was assigned this recipe and as soon as she posted he review I couldn't wait to try it. I put it on the menu after picking up a pint of olives at the local farmers market recently.


I really enjoyed this dish. I didn't realize it at the time but I took Brianna's suggestion of using more tomatoes for 4 portions. We had two jars of tomatoes in the pantry that my mom and I canned a few summers ago that needed to be used up, so I dumped both in the pan. There was just the right amount of sauce, which had a great salty bite from the capers, feta and olives and a kick from the spicy sausage. I left out the honey/agave nectar because I didn't want to temper those flavors.

Spaghetti with Sausage, Kalamata Olives & Capers
Slightly modified from Oishii Food

1 lb spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes
1 teaspoon oregano (fresh or dried)
1 teaspoon basil (fresh or dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lb sweet or hot Italian sausage, sliced into coins
1/4 cup pitted kalamata, halved
2 tablespoons capers
Feta cheese

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Fry the sliced sausage until cooked through and nice and golden on both sides. Add the garlic and the red pepper flakes and sauté for about a minute. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Stir well, cover, and let simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Add the kalamata olives and the capers. Let simmer for another 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water until al dente, according to package instructions.

Drain the spaghetti and add to the sauce. Toss to coat. Add the crumbled feta on top and serve.