Just shy of a month, hubs and I are going on vacation. V.A.C.A.T.I.O.N. And not just any vacation, we’re meeting our family for a week at a beach house. In Florida. On the beach. By the ocean. On the sand. By the water. In Florida.
I’m a smidge giddy.
So, I have roughly 4 weeks to shape up, tone up, tan up, and man up. (what?) This means up-ing my game with my runs, establishing a fresh relationship with my arm weights, and keeping one eye on my carb intake.
Well, after tonight’s meal of course. There has to be a starting point, and it’s never today.
Am I right or am I right?
Rigatoni with Sausage, Tomatoes and Cream:
What it took for 2:
* 1/2 pound rigatoni (or penne)
* 1 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
* 2 sun-dried chicken sausage links (or your preferred flavor, or even regular italian sausage) casings removed and pulled into chunks
* 1/2 red onion, finely chopped
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 tsp fresh sage, chopped
* 1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
* 1 bay leaf
* 1 (28 oz) can whole peeled tomatoes (run through a food processor until smooth)
* pinch of crushed red pepper
* 1/2 cup red wine
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1/2 cup grated parmesan
* coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high. Add the sausage and cook for 5 minutes, until browned. Add the onions, garlic, crushed red pepper, bay, sage and rosemary and cook until the onions have softened a bit, maybe 10 minutes. If there’s any fat, drain off most, but leave a little, for the sake of all that’s good. Turn the heat up and add the wine. Smell that. I know. Let the wine cook off, about 4 minutes. Add the pureed tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and let cook about half an hour. Remove the bay leaf and toss it. Stir in the cream and half of the cheese. Stir, stir. Look at that heaven right there in front of you. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
In the meantime, cook the rigatoni until it reaches al dente. Drain, and toss it into the tomato-sausage sauce.
Serve with more cheese and a glass of your favorite red wine. Bon Appetit!
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