The weekly cooked tomato dish. Hooray, Lycopene! The original plan for the side dish here was a prosciutto wrapped asparagus, but the asparagus that I had kept in a produce bag didn't keep as well as other vegetables usually do. It had become soft and started to brown at the tips, and I didn't want to serve it. I opted to use some of the remaining artichoke hearts I had from the pizza on Monday to avoid a grocery run.
So, being that I don't have asparagus's nutritional might to yap about, I'll stick to the other new ingredient.
Red bell peppers are packed with Vitamin C, Vitamin A, Vitamin E and even some B6. Red peppers also contain those Carotenoids we chatted about a couple posts back and even some Lycopene as well. Those are both antioxidants, in case you're just jumping in.
This is a tasty, simple dish that I'm confident anyone can whip up without issue, so if you're looking for a starter plate, this is a fine choice. Here's what you'll need to make two servings:
1 cup uncooked rotini pasta (use whole grain if you'd like, I'm still trying to find a brand I agree with)
3/4 cup of organic tomato puree
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove of garlic
1/6 of a red onion
3 oz. of andouille sausage
1 roasted red pepper (how you get this is up to you; I roast my own, about four at a time, and jar them with some oil before storing them in the fridge. They'll keep for a up to a couple months. If you don't want to bother with that, they're available in the grocery store next to the olives)
10 artichoke heart pieces
2 Tbsp. or so of grated parmigiano reggiano (Note: I [along with most nutritionists] suggest that you not skimp on the quality of your grating cheeses. I guarantee you there is more flavor in that couple tablespoons of real 2-year-old parmigiano reggiano than there will ever be in an entire wedge of generic store brand parmesan. You'll save calories and gain a depth of flavor that will ultimately leave you feeling much more satisfied)
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil
To taste salt, fresh black pepper, red pepper, more garlic (which I would have added, but I was literally down to my last, lonely clove. Very unlike me)
That's all, folks. Not too bad, huh? Let's put this together.
First, oil up and season those artichoke hearts and get them in a 400° oven. They'll need to roast for at least 20 minutes on the first side, and for up to 15 on the other. Mine were thawed from frozen, so they were dealing with some excess moisture. Fresh will roast much quicker.
Get a pot of water on the stove to boil for your pasta.
Cut the sausage up into 1/4 inch cubes and get it into a sauce pot on medium heat. Let it brown thoroughly on all sides, then ditch most of the rendered fat down the drain (careful not to pour the sausage down with it). You'll want a little left in the pot to cook the aromatics and sautee the red peppers.
Speaking of all that, mince your onion and finely chop the red pepper flesh. Add it to your pan, take the heat down to a medium low. When the veggies are sweated to your liking, add your tomato puree and stir to combine. Dial the heat back one more time to low and taste the sauce. Season appropriately.
When the artichokes have about another 7 minutes to roasted perfection, cook your pasta. Salt the water first, it adds flavor to the pasta itself. Cook that to a nice al dente and drain it.
To finish your sauce, kill the heat, add the basil, most of the olive oil and grate in that clove of garlic (if the thought of finishing a sauce with a punch of raw garlic makes you weak in the knees, mince this stuff and add it when you're sweating the onion).
The artichokes generally like a fresh drizzle of olive oil as well. Top the pasta and the artichoke hearts with that grated cheese and plate them simply side-by-side. Garnish with some more basil, if you like.
Come back tomorrow night for a decadent bisque, should be fantastic.
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