kitchen discoveries

I love one pot recipes. They are simple to prepare, and there is very little cleanup involved.  I especially love the pasta ones.  Maybe it's because I love pasta so much haha. This one is quite simple, and depending on what type of sausage you use, it's incredibly delicious.  This recipe is an adaptation of Laura in the Kitchen's "One Pot Single Step Spaghetti."  I didn't make many changes, but I definitely used a different sausage for mine.  I love the simplicity of this recipe. I also LOVE how flavorful it is. If you wish to see the original recipe, click the link provided at the bottom of this post! Without further adieu...here's the recipe!

Ingredient List
12 oz cooked sausage, sliced  (any kind you want!)
1 yellow onion, sliced into half moon slices
1/4 cup basil pesto (homemade or store bought)
1 cup tomato sauce
3 1/2 cups water
3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb spaghetti
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
salt, to taste

1.  Put the sausage, onion, pesto, tomato sauce, water, and garlic into a large pan with very high sides or a large pot.  If you were wondering what sausage I used, I ended up using a chicken, artichoke, and mozzarella sausage I found at Costco. This is sooo good. I suggest getting it if you see it available at any Costco or grocery store near you.


I also used Kirkland brand pesto; I didn't have any homemade pesto. If you have homemade pesto, use that! Give the ingredients a light mix. Then, place the spaghetti into the pot.  DO NOT BREAK UP THE SPAGHETTI.  About 1/3 -1/2 of the spaghetti should be dry and should not be touching the wet mixture, as shown below.



2.  Once the mixture comes to a rapid boil, work the spaghetti slowly into the "sauce."


Turn down the heat to medium and allow it to cook for about 8-10 minutes (or until the spaghetti is al dente).  If it seems like your pasta needs more water, pour some into the pot a little at a time as needed.  While the pasta cooks, stir it frequently so as not to burn the pasta; this dish can easily burn if you don't keep an eye on it. The pasta should look like the photo below when it's just about done. There should be no excess liquid and the noodles should be al dente.


3.  Once the pasta is done cooking, take the pot/pan off the heat and mix in the parmesan cheese. If you have Parmigiano-Reggiano, use that instead! :) Serve it right away!


I loved the taste of this pasta. It is very thick and very filling.  I found that the pasta was a little high maintenance to make, seeing that it needed constant supervision.  The pasta takes so little time to make, though, and it is so worth it.  I had leftovers for days!! Hope you all get a chance to try out this recipe, and happy cooking!

Original Written Recipe by Laura Vitale: click here!
Video Recipe by Laura Vitale: click here!

I don't know about you, but I am exhausted at the end of the work day.  Although I love cooking, I sometimes just feel like whipping up a quick meal and will not be bothered.  Instead of warming up a frozen dinner or canned whatever, I recently decided to try Laura Vitale's Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe! I got the recipe from Laura's newly released cookbook! It is full of simple, delicious recipes, and I can't wait to dig into it.  To purchase her wonderful cookbook, click here!

Spaghetti Cacio e Pepe is basically spaghetti with cheese and pepper.  It's super easy and simple to make; think of it as a less creamy version of mac and cheese! It goes great as a side dish; I personally think this would pair well with chicken.  I really recommend taking a look at the original recipe in the book since I may take shortcuts or make adaptations to the original recipe.

INGREDIENTS
12 oz dried spaghetti
4 tbs (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup freshly grated pecorino romano
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

When cooking pasta dishes, I always get a pot of water boiling first; it's usually the thing that takes the longest.  I did exactly that for this recipe.  I also decided to put my butter in a heatproof bowl next to the stove to soften while I prepped the rest of my ingredients.  Note: I always use real, good-quality butter;  it makes a huge difference in the taste.  I would not recommend substituting the butter for margarine or "fake butter" in the tub! It will not taste the same.  I used my Challenge Unsalted Butter this time.


While the pasta water was boiling, I decided to prep my cheeses.  This recipe calls for both Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano.  In the below photo, the Pecorino is to the right and the two chunks of Parmigiano are to the left. The Pecorino is a really sharp and salty cheese and is often used with pasta dishes, like this one. Parmigiano is a little grittier in texture than Pecorino.  It is also sharp and has a little more savory/nutty flavor to it.  I love both, but I actually prefer Pecorino! Anyway, make sure to use good quality cheeses in this dish. They are the STARS of this dish (well, also the black pepper, but I'll get to that).  Do NOT use that parmesan in the canned aisle; I beg of you.


I then grated the cheeses using my handy grater/measuring cup. It's pretty awesome. You snap on the "grating" lid and you can grate whatever you want directly into a measuring cup.  I forgot where I got this; it may have even been a gift!


By the time I grated my cheeses, my water was boiling and ready for the pasta.  For this recipe, I used a corn, quinoa, rice, and fiber pasta by Garofalo that I found at Costco; it's gluten-free as well.  This is my first time trying this gluten-free pasta, and it did not taste bad at all! The consistency was a bit different, but I would buy it again! I still prefer regular pasta, but I would give this a try if you want gluten-free. To buy it, click here or visit your local Costco (not sure if they still have it in stock).


This recipe called for the pasta to be cooked 2 minutes less than the designated cooking time, so I boiled the pasta for 8 minutes.  I also reserved 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water before draining the pasta.  While the pasta was draining, I placed the same empty pot on the stovetop over medium heat.  In the pot, I added the drained noodles and the reserved cooking water.  Then I tossed in my Challenge butter, the grated cheeses, and loads of black pepper.  To be honest, I think I added wayyyyy more than 1 tsp of pepper.  I just kept grinding my pepper mill until I couldn't grind NO' MO'! Also make sure to use freshly ground black pepper for this dish; the flavor is just a million times better. I cooked this mixture for 3 minutes, stirring constantly so that it wouldn't burn and the cheese wouldn't stick.


After the 3 minutes, I turned off the heat, covered the pot, and let the pasta sit for 1 minute.  After the minute, I quickly plated the dish! Here it is in its glory:


I loved this dish. It was milder than I was expecting but satisfying nonetheless. I added a bit more salt to it after making myself a full plate. If you make this dish, make sure to thoroughly salt your pasta water. OR, alternatively, add more grated cheese on top of your personal serving.  I recommend this for a quick, easy dinner on a weeknight or a side dish to a grilled marinated chicken breast or even some leftover chicken parm!

Stay tuned for my next kitchen discovery: CANNELLINI BEANS WITH BACON & SPINACH!