Casarecce Pasta with Smoked Sausage

Do you shop at Costco? I don’t know about other big box stores, but Costco has assorted Pastas bundled together. Three different types of pasta in one pound bags sold as a package deal. Yeah, six pounds of short pastas.

The Penne Pasta is the type that goes first – I’ve got a million different recipes that call for Penne Pasta, and it’s one of Hubby’s favorite short pastas.  Next are the Gemelli – as a Gemini, I appreciate the whole “twin” aspect of pastas twisted together as one. But then you’ve got the Casarecce Pasta. As an American, I wasn’t all that familiar with this short twisted pasta. To me, it looked like a hairpin made from pasta. As an American not of Italian or European heritage, my knowledge of pastas was a bit limited. Growing up, we had spaghetti. That was it. Just spaghetti. Venturing out into the world on my own, I began to discover a multitude of pastas. Long pastas, short pastas, tubes of pasta and envelopes filled with all sorts of things.

Yeah, I know, this chart doesn’t even come close, but you get the idea. I don’t know about you, but for me I get excited just thinking about all the delicious foods waiting to be discovered.

When I told Hubby I was going to make a pasta dish with smoked sausage, vegetables and canned tomatoes, he said I was getting “weird” again. But guess what – he loved it! And Kiddo (my harshest critic) came back for seconds. Yeah, this is a weeknight keeper.

Oh, and one more thing – my “invention” did not originally include the Marinara Sauce, but as it was cooking, I realized we needed a little something extra to create more sauce for the noodles. In my freezer I have packets of home-made Marinara Sauce that my guys like to warm as a dip for breads or Mozzarella Sticks. So I grabbed one and tossed it in. Just the right “something” extra I was looking for. If you are using tomato sauce, just add some Italian Seasoning and the results should be similarly delicious.

Casarecce Pasta with Smoked Sausage
10 oz Casarecce Pasta
Kosher Salt as needed
1 White Onion
2 Yellow Bell Peppers
3 Garlic Cloves
1 package Smoked Beef Sausage
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 (15 oz) can Italian Tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup Red Wine
4 oz Tomato or Marinara Sauce
Red Pepper Flakes to taste
Mozzarella Cheese, garnish

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Meanwhile, peel the onion, cut in half width-wise, then into half-moon slivers. Set aside. Stem the bell peppers, cut in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Cut peppers into half-moon slivers, set aside.Peel and finely mince garlic, set aside. Cut sausage into 1/2-inch thick bias cuts, set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet. Add onion, peppers and sausage, saute until the sausage begins to brown and the vegetables are tender. Add minces garlic, cook another 30 seconds. Add the undrained Italian Tomatoes, red wine and tomato or Marinara Sauce. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to simmer. Season with salt if needed and some red pepper flakes for a little spice.

Place warm pasta in a large serving bowl, top with the smoked sausage sauce. Stir to coat and blend. Garnish with a little Mozzarella Cheese if desired.

Serve with a small salad and warm garlic rolls for a great weeknight supper.

Author: Rosemarie's Kitchen

I'm a wife, mother, grandmother and avid home cook.I believe in eating healthy whenever possible, while still managing to indulge in life's pleasures. View all posts by Rosemarie's Kitchen