The big guy said "this pasta has balls" and for sure he doesn't like no wimpy pasta. As you can imagine, Angel Hair or Orzo are unlikely to find a home in our cupboard. Last nights tagliatelli in a vodka sauce with sweet sausage was very manly indeed.
Adapted from an Emeril recipe, not only did this pasta have all the colors of the Italian flag, it was full of great Italian flavor too. Loaded with sweet sausage, garlic, onion, and mushrooms, the pan was de-glazed with vodka just before a relatively small amount of tomatoes hit it. Finished with a touch of cream and garnished with fresh basil and sun dried tomatoes, the sauce was a perfect vehicle for the al dente' long wide noodles. Download Pasta with Sausage and Vodka Sauce Hearty, full of flavor and very quick to make, it was a great solution for dinner after a busy day spent in the kitchen getting ready for our Easter dinner.
By the way, it was the first time I'd used tagliatelle which is really just a very wide fettuccine. I love it's "tooth"! It fairly cries for a thick ragu or bolognese sauce, and I would imagine it would be pretty darn awesome in a carbonara too - say with leftover Easter ham and fresh peas, heavy on the cream and light on the eggs - a little nutmeg, lots of grated parmesan....oh dear!
Happy Easter everyone!
Love love love vodka pasta sauces - and with sausage yum!! Tagliatelle is one of my favourites - I do a version with a roasted cauliflower, pancetta and garlic sauce.
Posted by: Cathy | 04/04/2010 at 07:27 AM
WOW - roasted cauliflower, pancetta and garlic. You've sure got my attention! As for the vodka, I was a little disappointed because you couldn't taste it much, but I guess you can't anyway. Ha. (I just printed off your recipe and I'll be trying it PDQ. Thanks Cathy ...love your blog!)
Posted by: June | 04/04/2010 at 10:57 AM
Also as far as the Carbonara lets go heavy on the eggs and real, real, real light on the peas. :-)
Posted by: steve | 04/04/2010 at 11:00 AM
Let's negotiate big guy.
Posted by: June | 04/04/2010 at 11:05 AM
Your pasta and sausage dish looks heavenly. (I hope you went heavy on the vodka since there's some negotiating on the "light on this" and "heavy on that"...LOL!
I had no idea there was even room for negotiating in the kitchen!
Happy Easter you two!
Posted by: Mags | 04/04/2010 at 04:36 PM
Mags - sure there's room for negotiation in the kitchen ...as in, I'll leave the peas out of the carbonara and you big guy clean up the kitchen...oh and while you're at it, the windows need washin' too. Works EVERY time! LOLOL That's how much he hates peas.
Posted by: June | 04/04/2010 at 07:38 PM