get in mah belly

Yay!! A food post! Finally! It's only been like, 19 years! Ok, not quite that long, but I haven't made a food post since the beginning of this blog. Of course I only have a picture of the finished product (which is gorgeous, by the way) so you won't get to actually see the steps it takes to create this masterpiece, but I'm gonna give you the recipe!

Oh, and if you have a super picky significant other like I do, you really can't go wrong with this recipe (except I did get a "I could do without the Rotel" - but seriously?!? It's like teeny tomato pieces...he picked them out anyway,ugh).

Spicy Sausage Skillet Pasta

(This can be made vegetarian too - just omit the sausage, sub water for the chicky broth and add some broccoli or spinach or tofu or...ah the possibilities!! I must try some)

1 tbs olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced into 1/4" slices (I used smoked turkey sausage)
1.5 cups onion, diced (I just used a whole small onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chicken broth (I used organic)
1 can Rotel tomatoes and green chiles
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used whipping cream (is that the same thing?) - it did the job)
1 box pasta (I used penne)
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (um, I used a whole bag which is probably more than a cup...oh well)
1/3 cup scallions, thinly sliced

1. Using an oven safe skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat until slightly smoking. Add onions and sausage and cook until lightly browned (about 4 minutes or so). Add the garlic and cook until fragrant (like 30 seconds-ish).

2. Add broth, cream, tomatoes, pasta (uncooked), and salt and pepper. Stir until well mixed and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow to simmer until pasta is tender (15-20 minutes).

3. Remove skillet from heat and add half of the cheese, mixing well. Sprinkle the other half of the cheese over the top and top with scallions.

4. Put the skillet under the broiler until the cheese on top is bubbly with little brown spots.

5. Behold your masterpiece.

Note: remember to use hot mitts when grabbing your skillet off of the stove or from the oven - shit's hot!! Also, keep the handle covered with a towel when serving because its likely that your significant other will grab the handle while trying to pile as much food as possible onto his plate. Then he will complain about Rotel chunkies and you will wish you had let him burn himself.