harvest moon soup

come a little bit closer, here's a soup you'll want to try...on this harvest moon.

Kale, Cannellini Bean & Sausage Soup
(Adapted from Frances Mayes from Everyday in Tuscany: Zuppa di Cavolo Nero, Cannellini e Salsicce)

Ingredients

(Serves 8-10)

2 Italian sausages, skins removed and meat crumbled
4 tbsps olive oil
1 onion, chopped
12 garlic cloves, minced
1-2 cups dry white wine (or white cooking wine)
6 cups chicken stock
6 thyme sprigs
1 bunch of dinosaur kale or bagged, chopped kale
2 cups butternut squash, cubed (optional)
2 zucchini squash, cubed (optional)
4 cups cooked cannellini beans (dried beans or 2 cans of beans)
1 cup shredded parmigiano-reggiano

1. Saute the onions and garlic, add in crumbled sausage in the olive oil and cook until browned.
2. In the same pan, add in the thyme and the white wine to deglaze the pan.
3. Add the chicken stock to the pot. Bring to a boil and add the kale (and other veggies) and cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add the cooked sausage, parmesan and beans and simmer for another 15 minutes.

creamy polenta with sausage

i spotted this little number in today's minimalist column. from time to time, i find myself stuck in a pasta rut, where all of my dinner ideas revolve around a noodle mixed with different ingredients. i want to switch things up, but lack a substantial fall back plan. here's a new go to: polenta.  It's quick, it's simple, it's forgiving and has a flavor that compliments almost any sauce, sautéed veggie or meat item.

CREAMY POLENTA WITH SAUSAGE
Courtesy of Mark Bittman

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 good-quality sweet Italian sausages

1 cup medium-to-coarse cornmeal

Salt

1/2 to 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, or to taste

2 tablespoons butter

Freshly ground black pepper.

Put oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add sausages and cook, turning occasionally, until well browned on all sides and cooked through, about 20 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, put cornmeal in a medium saucepan along with 1 cup water and whisk well to make a slurry; continue whisking mixture to eliminate any lumps. Put pan over medium-high heat, sprinkle with salt and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook, whisking frequently and adding water as needed to keep mixture loose and free of lumps, between 3 and 4 more cups. If mixture becomes too thick, simply add a bit more water; consistency should be similar to sour cream’s.

Polenta will be done in 15 to 30 minutes, depending on grind. Add cheese and butter. Taste and add salt, if necessary, and lots of pepper; serve topped with sausages.

Yield: 4 servings.

spicy sausage pappardelle

Are you in need of a quick weeknight meal that is meaty, but also easy to prepare? Look no further. I've recently received feedback that MORE dishes with LESS ingredients would be most appreciated. Since I'm a lady of the people, I'm going to work on collecting accessible recipes with simplicity in mind.
This pasta dish contains approximately eight ingredients, only four of which you probably need to go out and buy...these would be the sausage, tomatoes, cream and red onion(and fresh thyme if you don't harvest your own herbs). Chances are if you cook from time to time you already own your own garlic, olive oil, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and some pasta noodles. Enjoy!

SPICY Sausage Pasta
(serves 2)
olive oil
1 red onion, diced
a handful of thyme leaves (fresh or dried)
1/2 tbsp. red pepper flakes (dried chili flakes)
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 pork sausages (Uli's HOT italian!), meat removed from casings and separated into small pieces
1 28 oz. can of peeled, sliced or diced tomatoes
1/2 pint cream
salt and pepper
pappardelle (from trader joe's, any noodle that you love will work)
parmesan to serve
Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pan over a medium heat. Brown the pieces of sausage in the oil, breaking the sausages as you cook. Add the thyme leaves to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the onion and red pepper flakes and cook until soft. Add the chopped garlic and cook for another minute or so. Add the sliced or diced tomatoes to the pan. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta in salted water. A few minutes before the pasta is ready, add the cream to the sauce and stir. When the pasta is cooked, plate and serve with a heaping spoon of sauce.  

makin' a ragù, real quick like.

Here's a new, cool thing that I learned: ragù can be abbreviated. Ragù can take all day to cook, reduce and transform into something worthy of bearing the "sauce" name OR it can be a speedy dish, something you whip up in 30 minutes or less. You choose. It's hard to beat all day slow-cooked flavors, but on weeknights, making a five hour sauce is too much. It crosses the line between dedication and madness.

Hot Italian links from Uli's in the market.

Ragù (Quick Style)
Adapted from Bitten

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp.  olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 lb. spicy italian sausage removed from casing
1/4 cup white wine
1 cup milk
1/4 cup tomato paste
salt and pepper

1 lb. of pasta
parmesan for serving

Boil salted water for the pasta. Put the oil in a skillet or sauce pan over medium heat add the onion and garlic. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until it softens. Add the sausage in bits, and turn the heat to medium high; cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is nicely browned, add wine and cook until the liquid reduces.


Add milk and tomato paste, season to taste with salt and pepper; stir to blend, and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until thickened. If sauce it becomes too thick or dry, add a little more milk or water.

Once the sauce is done and the water is bioling, cook the pasta. When pasta is al dente, drain and toss with sauce. Sprinkle with parmesan and adjust seasonings to your liking.

eaten by simple folk

According to the wikipedia reference guide, Tagliatelle was once available only for the bourgeoisie and was served on silver plates. These days, however, it is a much less sophisticated tradition and can be eaten by the "simple folk." I may be simple, but get real people, I still eat all of my meals on silver plates. Allison made this the other night. She prefers to smash the peas between her teeth because she likes the feeling, so you can skip that step too if you want an extra activity while you eat. Also, her version was even more tasty because she used spinach & chive fettuccine from Trader Joe's and jalapeno chicken sausage, which was spicy and flavorful.

TAGLIATELLE WITH SMASHED PEAS, SAUSAGE & RICOTTA

(Recipe inspired by Giada De Laurentiis)

1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle pasta (or other wide, long pasta)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound hot Italian sausage, casings removed
1 pound frozen peas, thawed
1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
1 bunch fresh basil leaves chopped (about 3/4 cup)
1/4 cup fresh grated Pecorino Romano cheese
salt to flavor

DIRECTIONS

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 if dry or according to package directions if fresh. Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat and add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into bite-sized bits. When the sausage has browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Add the peas to the pan and, using the back of the wooden spoon, smash the peas. Turn off the heat. Add the ricotta cheese along with the cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding the pasta cooking water in 1/4 cup additions, if needed, to make the pasta moist. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the basil, Pecorino Romano cheese, and salt. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.