Thursday, July 16, 2009

Roasted Garlic Tomato and Sausage Pasta

Chuck and I are currently loving the flavor of roasted garlic (I made a roasted garlic mayo about a month ago and I swear he fell in love with me all over again!) - something about the sweet, mild flavor is just delicious. So when I saw this recipe I saved it right away.


I made several changes to the original recipe, which I am very happy with, mainly adding some crumbled Italian sausage and fresh mozzarella cheese. This pasta is full of flavor and the roasted garlic flavor is just right paired with the tomatoes, onions, and two cheeses. Another yummy addition would be some sundried tomatoes (and basil, which I forgot).

Roasted Garlic Tomato and Sausage Pasta
adapted from Stephanie Cooks, originally from The Crepes of Wrath
Makes 3-4 servings

1/2 pound tubular pasta (I used rotini but I would suggest penne)
1 large head garlic, top sliced off
1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half
1 large red onion, quartered and layers separated
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons olive oil
large pinches of kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper
8 ounces hot Italian sausage, casings removed
good quality extra virgin olive oil
large handful of grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces fresh mozzarella, diced
basil, to sprinkle

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil.

Place the garlic, tomatoes, and onion on the baking sheet. Whisk together the vinegar and olive oil in a small bowl and use a pastry brush to spread over vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for 30-35 minutes, or until garlic is browned and mushy and other vegetables are slightly charred.

Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble the sausage and cook thoroughly; remove to a paper towel to drain. Wipe out skillet with paper towel.

Once vegetables are done, remove from oven and transfer to skillet the sausage was cooked in. Remove the garlic cloves from the skin. (You may need to wait a little bit for the garlic to cool enough to handle.) Mash the garlic and tomatoes if desired with a fork.

Add pasta, sausage, and Parmesan cheese to skillet. Mix until pasta is coated, adding extra olive oil as needed. Gently mix in the mozzarella and garnish with basil. Transfer to a large bowl and serve immediately.

4 comments:

Stephanie said...

yay glad you liked it!!

Cate said...

My husband has been begging for roasted garlic lately... I think he'd love this!

Laura said...

This looks very good. I've been trying to incorporate sausage into our dishes more, as my husband can't get enough of it. I will certainly be trying this one out!

Deborah said...

Roasted garlic is one of my favorites! I definitely need to try this one!