Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

The sole purpose of making sausage today was so that it makes it's way to some pasta. Lately we've been eating more whole grain pasta because it just tastes better. The nuttier, fuller flavor of whole grain pasta makes things in the "sauce department" a lot easier. Here's a delicious, quick and healthy fix for lunch or dinner when you're pinched for time. Let Umami rich ingredients like mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese do the heavy lifting for you. Quit opening the jars of ready made tomato sauces and stay away from the rich cream based sauces in foil packets. Make. real. food. (mental note: that's a nice slogan) It's easier than you think and it will save you tons of money in the long run and most importantly, it's healthier.

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

Penne with Sausage and Mushroom

12 oz box of whole grain Penne pasta

8 oz sausage of your choice sliced thin on a bias (although i recommend you making this awesome sausage)

2 cups your choice of mushrooms rough chopped

1 cup thin sliced yellow onions

6 cloves of garlic minced

2 large Roma tomatoes rough chopped 

salt and dried chili flakes

the process

-Boil salted water. If you're not sure how salty, imagine sea water. Yup. about that salty. 

-while waiting for the water to boil, slice and chop the ingredients. make sure you get everything because like a stir fry, this will go very quickly

-once the water boils, add the pasta and heat a separate pot 

-start with the garlic and onions and once they get a bit of color in them add the mushrooms. 

-you're going to start having brown bits stuck to the pan and that's a good thing. 

-once the mushrooms have softened and has browned a bit, add the tomatoes

-a minute later, add your sausage making sure you're constantly stirring 

-at this time, turn down the fire to low and the pasta should be cooked al dente. 8-9 minutes

-reserve 3/4 of a cup of the pasta water before draining

-once drained, turn the fire up again and add the pasta and the pasta water

-stir and taste and adjust the salt to your liking. add chili flakes to your liking as well

-serve hot with shaved Parmesan cheese. 

ENJOY!