Hey guys! #InternationalThursdays has commenced and we are kicking it off by heading to Italy! I'm going to start you guys off with fairly easy recipes and then we will get into the more advanced stuff. It's been cold and although I am watching what I eat, I wanted something hearty for me and Bear (my son Austin) in this cold weather. I wanted pasta, but not spaghetti, not a white sauce. So I just made this recipe up according to my taste buds. I added a couple different cheeses, some fresh basil, and baked it then BOOM, here's what we got! Lets get into this dish!
Ingredients:
3 TBS olive oil
1 box rigatoni pasta
1 pack of spicy Italian chicken sausage
1 sweet onion
3 cloves fresh garlic chopped
1 can diced tomatoes
1 jar of garlic tomato sauce
1 can of tomato paste
1 TBS sugar (to combat acidity)
1 TBS black pepper
1 TBS Italian seasoning
1 TBS salt
1 TBS onion AND garlic powder
1/3 cup cheddar cheese
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
3-4 fresh basil leaves chopped
Instructions:
1.) Heat large sauce pan on medium high heat and add the olive oil
2.) Boil rigatoni pasta in a separate pot
3.) Chop onion, garlic, and the sausages then add to olive oil and sweat for about 3-4 minutes to brown the sausages
4.) Next add the can of diced tomatoes, jar of tomato sauce and tomatoes paste and stir
5.) Add ALL seasonings listed, stir, then cover the sauce and let simmer until the pasta is done cooking
6.) Preheat Oven to 350 degrees and place a cast iron skillet inside the oven while its heating
7.) By now the pasta should be done, drain and add a pinch of salt and pepper to the pasta
8.) Take the skillet out of the oven and throw in a half of stick of butter, sprinkle in the cheddar cheese and add the seasoned noodles
9.) Next pour half of the sauce all over the noodles in the skillet and mix together
10.) Then add the remainder of the sauce and your other cheeses and top with fresh chopped basil and cover with foil.
11.) Bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is completely melted
12.) Serve and eat!
There may be a lot of instructions but I like my recipes to be as detailed as possible for you guys. This meal comes together so quickly and is extremely easy. The perfect hearty Italian dish to make on those cold nights, or when you are just craving a barrage of carbs, either way nobody is judging. Remember to use my recipe as a guide and make it your own, they are usually versatile enough for you to do so. If you ever have any questions feel free to stop by my Instagram @chefmorghan or shoot me an email chefmorghanv@gmail.com . Until next time ...
With Love & Food,
-Chef Morghan