I love a delicious, easy-to-prepare pasta. Here is one that I’ve recently added to my repertoire that is a hit with both adults and children alike. Since many of us are probably experiencing a poultry-overload from Thanksgiving Day, I thought it would be nice to share something light and simple to prepare for dinner tonight. Serve with a mixed green salad and Ciabatta bread on the side for a well-rounded meal.

Rigatoni with Sausage + Zucchini

1 16 oz. box of rigatoni (I prefer Barilla or De Cecco)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 lb. best-quality mild Italian sausage, casings removed
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic*
1 medium red onion, halved and then sliced
1 lb. zucchini, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds (about 3 small)
sea salt + freshly ground pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. Cook pasta in a stockpot according to package directions. Drain, return to pot, and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet (preferably cast-iron), heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, stirring often, until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to a plate and set aside.

3. In the same pan, cook garlic, onion, and zucchini until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Sprinkle with pepper and reserved sausage then cook until heated through, about 3 minutes.

4. Pour the sausage mixture into the stockpot full of reserved pasta and carefully toss. Mix in about 1/2 of the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and then sprinkle the remainder on top just before serving. Enjoy immediately!

* Swiss brand Zyliss makes the best garlic press

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 1st, 2009 at 1:01 am and is filed under Steph B, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.