Toasted Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

As much as I love my kitchen and cooking, some days Roman isn't cooperating and I can't cook a big meal, or I've forgotten to take a meal out of the freezer and need some quick and easy.  A quick meal, to me, has to be something that requires very little prep or at least prep I can get done before Roman can crawl to the dogs' water bowl.  Even better is something that I don't have to babysit too much while it's cooking.  This recipe is all of those things combined, and it's delicious!

 

I squeezed this recipe out of my mom whom I think found it years ago in a Pampered Chef recipe book. You probably already have these items in your pantry and fridge so let's get cooking!

Toasted Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

1 pkg sausage

1 box (454g) spaghettinni or angel hair pasta

1 carton (900 ml) chicken stock

2 bell peppers, chopped

Parmesan cheese

Remove sausage meat from casing. You could also purchase meat already out of the casing.

 

Over medium high heat, brown sausage in a pan until cooked through.

 

Remove the sausage from the pan, leaving as much of the juices in the pan as possible. Add dry pasta to the pan and toast over medium high heat, turning the pasta occasionally with tongs. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to break the noodles in half in order to fit them in as I did.  The pasta noodles will turn a light-deep brown colour as they toast.  If some burn don't panic, they will still taste delicious.

 

Once most of the pasta is toasted, add the chicken stock to the pan.  *TIP - do not hold your hands directly above the pan when adding the stock.  The stock will instantly boil when it hits the pan and the hot steam can burn.  Cover the pan and bring the stock to a boil.  Continue to boil until the pasta is cooked.  There may be some liquid left in the pan once the pasta is cooked but it will be absorbed by the peppers and sausage. 

Add the sausage and peppers to the pasta. Cover and reduce heat until the peppers are warmed through.

 

Top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

 

Toasting pasta seems strange, but it brings out a delicious nutty flavour that you would not associate with pasta.  I've also made this recipe with thicker pasta (like spirals) because I didn't have spaghettinni. It worked, but you don't get the same nutty flavour and you just end up with dark edges.  That being said it works perfectly well with spaghetti, but you may need to add a bit more stock to cook the pasta.

This is a favorite in our house and I hope you enjoy!