Step-by-Step Recipe: Spaghetti all' Elsa and Roasted Sausages with Peppers and Onions

The holiday season is busy for many of us.  This week in particular, I have a lot going on at work, in addition to trying to make the holidays happen (Christmas shopping, decorating, and working on Christmas cards).  In these situations, I love a recipe that will make a lot of leftovers.  These recipes do just that--they will make about 6-8 servings, depending how generous you are.  Which is fantastic!

I'm not always the biggest fan of Rachael Ray, mostly because I find her a little irritating on TV.  But I've made a few of her recipes that were all pretty good...so I will try to be more kind in my assessment.  Of the recipes I've tried, Spaghetti all' Elsa and Roasted Sausages with Peppers and Onions are probably my favorites.  (FYI, I skip the cheesy bread part of that second recipe, as this already makes SO MUCH food.  Maybe if I were feeding an army I might try it...)  The other great thing about these recipes is that they aired together on a episode of "Thirty Minute Meals."  I've never actually managed to make this meal in 30 minutes, but it doesn't take much longer than that.  A great help on a busy Monday night!

Recipes and photos below the cut!

First things first--assemble your ingredients.  Starting with the sausage, peppers, and onions.

Put the sausages on a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Roast for 15-25 minutes (25 for turkey sausage) at 425.

Meanwhile, peel and thinly slice 3 cloves of garlic.  And do not mock my dinged up and dingy cutting board.  I promise it's clean!

Then slice up the peppers.  Not too thin--otherwise they'll get too mushy.

Then slice the onions--again, not too thin.

Now it's time to prep the ingredients for the pasta and sauce.  Start by assembling everything.  (Note: that small can of diced tomatoes should actually be crushed tomatoes, but my grocery store doesn't sell crushed tomatoes in the 14-oz. size anymore.  They also don't sell the Barilla Plus pasta in regular spaghetti--hence the angel hair.  Whatever.  It's all fine.)

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium.  Add the sliced garlic to the pan.  Let it get a little toasty.

Then add the peppers and onions.

Then heat some olive oil over medium-low, and add the crushed garlic cloves and red pepper flakes.  Let the garlic cook low and slow until it's golden.  Remove with a slotted spoon (or if you LOVE garlic like I do, you can leave it in and get a surprise in your sauce!).

Check on your peppers and onions.  They should be getting softer, but retaining their bright color.  Add a little bit of the tomato sauce (see next step), thinned out with water, as well as salt and pepper, and stir to coat.

Add wine/chicken stock to the pan with the olive oil and red pepper flakes (carefully--will spatter).  Cook for 30 seconds, then add the crushed tomatoes and stir well.  Add the basil (I usually add half at this point and sprinkle the rest on top when everything is done--your choice).  Cover and let simmer.

Meanwhile, your pasta has been cooking (right?).  Once you drain it, return it to the pot you cooked it in, and add the butter.  Stir until it's melted and the pasta is coated.  Add half the sauce and all of the Parmesan (or a little less, and save the rest for sprinkling on your finished plates).  Mix until everything is coated.  Serve with more sauce and Parmesan!

And voila--your finished products!

Yum!

I suggest serving these together.  You could serve with a salad to add some veggies to the mix, but to be honest, this is SO MUCH food that you may well skip it.  Enjoy!

Spaghetti all' Elsa, from Rachael Ray
Serves: 6-8.  Time: 30-40 minutes (when made with roasted sausages below)

Ingredients

• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/3 cup chicken stock or white wine
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano), plus 1 (14-ounce) can
• Several leaves basil, torn or chopped, a handful
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and add pasta. Cook to al dente, with a bite to it.
2. Heat a medium sauce pot over medium-low heat. Add extra-virgin olive oil, garlic, and red pepper and let them cook 5 minutes, garlic will be soft and light golden. Remove garlic. 
3. Add stock or wine and stir 30 seconds, add tomatoes and combine. Season the sauce with salt, to taste, then stir basil in and reduce heat to low.
4. When pasta is cooked, turn off the heat, drain the pasta then add it back to the still-hot, deep pot. Add butter to spaghetti and toss to melt and coat. 
5. Add half the red sauce and all of the cheese, work in a handful at a time as you toss to combine. To serve, use tongs or a meat fork to swirl the pasta into buttery, cheesy mounds to pile onto each plate. Top each portion with spoonfuls of remaining sauce. 

Roasted Sausages with Peppers and Onions, from Rachael Ray
Serves: 6-8. Time: 30-40 minutes (when made with Spaghetti all' Elsa)

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 pounds thin Italian sausage hot and sweet varieties (I use turkey sausage, which is a bit thicker)
• Extra-virgin olive oil, for liberal drizzling plus 3 tablespoons, 3 turns of the pan
• 4 cloves garlic, 3 thinly sliced, 1 cracked from skin
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced 1/2-inch thick
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 large onion, 1/2-inch slices
• 1/4 cup tomato sauce, thinned out with water
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Place sausages on a baking sheet and liberally drizzle extra-virgin olive oil down over them. Place in hot oven and roast until casings are crisp and juices run clear, somewhere between 15 and 20 minutes (25 minutes if using turkey sausages). Remove from oven to rest sausages.
3. While sausages roast, heat a skillet over medium heat with 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil and sliced garlic. 
4. Simmer garlic in extra-virgin olive oil 2 to 3 minutes then add peppers and onions. Turn the heat up a notch, and cook until the vegetables are tender but the peppers still hold strong color, 5 to 6 minutes. 
5. Add thinned tomato sauce, salt, and pepper and reduce. Turn heat back to low and hold the veggies until the sausage comes out of the oven, a couple of minutes.