Description:

Mini-pasta shells with veggies, cured sausage, and oil sauce

Source:

Lorna D.

Serves/Makes:6

Ingredients

• 1 box mini pasta shells
• olive oil, as needed - several tbsp
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) minced garlic (I use kind from jar)
• 5 hot peppers, minced with seeds (fresh - adjust for your taste 5 makes it pretty hot, depending on the type of hot pepper you use)
• 1 package cured "summer sausage" or keilbasa or cured hot sausage, cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 large or two medium onions, cut into small strips
• 2 jars baby mushrooms, drained
• 1 12 oz (336 grm). can dark kidney beans, drained
• 1 cup (225 ml) wine - a sweet wine like zinfandel works nicely, a dark red gives a more intense flavor - I usually add a tbsp of sugar if I use a dry wine.
• 2 16 oz (448 grm). cans diced italian or plum tomatoes
• salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

• In large pot, boil shells until al dente.
• Drain and set aside.
• In very large fry pan, coat bottom of pan thickly with olive oil.
• Heat on medium high heat.
• Add hot peppers, garlic, and sausage, cooking until sausage is browned.
• Add onions, mushrooms and kidney beans. Stir, cover, and cook for 2 minutes.
• Add more oil to coat food in fry pan if it looks like it is sticking to pan.
• Stir and add wine and tomatoes, along with the tomato juice from the cans.
• Your food will look very soupy - taste it.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• If you want a hotter meal, add more hot pepper, or hot pepper flakes now.
• Cover pan and simmer for approx. 5 minutes.
• Very carefull transfer contents of fry pan into large pot with pasta shells - I use a ladle to transfer the liquid, then dump in the food.
• Mix well, cover and let sit for at least 10 minutes, so pasta can soak up some of the liquid.
• Serve with good italian bread for soaking up juice.

Comments

This pasta is also very good served with white rice - a little non-traditional, but the bland white rice works well with the spicy, wet pasta. I change veggies throughout the year. For instance - when yellow squash is in season I add it to the recipe. This recipe makes a lot of food - It tastes even better the second day! It lasts several days in the fridge - good for a mom who doesn't want to cook every day!