Was looking for something healthy and fast to make for dinner, and stumbled across this recipe from CookingLight.com.

I had Ohio City Pasta black pepper fettucini in the freezer that I had gotten at the Chagrin Falls market a few months ago, so this seemed like a good pairing! I used to cook almost exclusively from Cooking Light in my first married years (late 1990’s early 2o00’s) before I knew more of the ins and outs of cooking. Now that I know more, thanks to Cooks Illustrated, etc. I take Cooking Light recipes, consult with the reviews (people often give 5 stars after doctoring a recipe significantly…ha!) and make my own tweaks while trying to stay within the healthy caloric indications of the original.

This time I had planned to sub Chicken Italian Sausage because I had been disappointed in the past with turkey substitute items (turkey dogs suck. period. I’m sorry.), and also because I’ve tried various chicken sausage brands from my Mustard Seed Market that are quite tasty. HOWEVER! They had no “Italian” style…but to my surprise they DID have their own store brand Mild Italian Turkey sausage. They make their own sausage there, and I have had consistently good results. SOOOOOO…I picked some up.

Paired with a pleasant Oregon Pino Gris (A to Z 2009) and some nice sourdough from the bakery, it turned out pretty damn well! Here is the recipe (with my notes in italics).

Farfalle (Ohio City Pasta – Black Pepper Fettucini) with Cauliflower and Turkey Sausage

Pierce sausage casings with the tip of a knife before combining them with the cauliflower to ensure they retain their uniform shape as they cook. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Prep Time: 42 minutes (less if you’re all prepared know what you’re doing)
Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

• 2  (4-ounce) links mild Italian turkey sausage
• 3  cups  small cauliflower florets
• 2  tablespoons  extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 1/2  teaspoon  (kosher) salt, divided
• 5  garlic cloves, sliced
• 4  cups  uncooked farfalle (bow tie pasta) (yeah, yeah, Ohio City…etc…and I do so wish they woud speak in uncooked ounces instead of nondescript “cups”)
• 1/2  teaspoon  crushed red pepper (or more…or MUCH more)
• 1/2  cup  (2 ounces) grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese (1. If you can, buy a solid block and hand grate it. It’s going to look like a lot, but it’s mostly air. 2. Romano, or at least good quality pecorino Romano, is pretty strong. So I say start with about half of what they call for to start, and then add more to taste.)
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper (invest in a good pepper mill, chump. It’s worth it.)
• 1 teaspoon salted butter, sliced thin
• 1 tbsp minced shallot

1. Preheat oven to 450°.

2. Pierce sausage several times with a knife. Combine sausage, cauliflower, and 1 tablespoon oil in a small roasting pan; toss. Sprinkle evenly with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 450° for 15 minutes. Add garlic and onion and another light drizzle of olive oil to pan; toss. Lay thin slices of butter over the cauliflower. Cauliflower and Turkey by nature are so devoid of fat and flavor that they desperately need fat. A tiny bit of butter ain’t gonna kill ya, and it will assist in the browning process. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until sausage is done, which means it measures 170 degrees on your meat thermometer. Don’t have one? Get one. It will save your dinner…oh, and potentially your stomach. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut sausage crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Toss with some black pepper and red pepper flakes to taste, and then put under the broiler until slightly browned. You should have plenty of time! If you read the recipe all the way through before beginning, you would have your pasta water waiting to boil while you are doing these things 🙂

3. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat (omit fat because it messes with the pasta, but unless you have special clinical dietary issues, for BOB’S SAKE ADD THE SALT!); drain, reserving 2 tablespoons  roughly a cup (you don’t have to use it all, but it’s never good to not have enough) of pasta cooking water. Combine pasta, reserved cooking water (start with a little, and add more later if the dish begins to look to sticky or tight), remaining 1 tablespoon oil, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and crushed red pepper in a large bowl; toss. Add cauliflower mixture, sausage, and cheese; toss gently to combine. Sprinkle with black pepper.
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In the end, Cooking Light estimated about 430 calories. I used less pasta, less cheese, but added a tiny bit of butter and oil. In the end, with the give and take, I estimated about 450 calories. ENJOY!

YAY!

xo
en