Fusilli with Sausage

This Fusilli with Sausage is a super simple and super delicious weeknight dinner. Use your favorite Italian sausage and flavorful passata to make this quick and easy pasta dish any day.

Once September hits, and we're settled into Virgo season, life seems to settle into a predictable rhythm, at least until the holidays come around. It's nice to have those periods of stability to help you ground and grow stronger. It perfect prepration for the next big adventure or moment of expansion.

And as the days grow steadily shorter, I'm drawn more than ever to my kitchen, that place of warmth and comfort. It's where I feel most grounded and creative. Cooking forces me to slow down and focus, and after juggling all the things throughout the summer, that single-minded simplicity is much needed. And even when it's the end of a long day, I always end up feeling better if I've spent some time at the stove, our modern day hearth. And then the eating makes everything all worthwhile.

What makes Fusilli with Sausage so awesome?

This recipe has a number of awesomeness factors, not least of which is the fact that's it's super simple. There's not a ton of ingredients, but as long as the ones you use are delicious, it needs nothing else. I love Italian sausage. It's not something you can pick up at the grocery store here, but thankfully, I have a couple of Italian delis in my neighborhood. It's totally worth the investment. I also love that this recipe is excellent leftover. It makes quite a lot of pasta, but as the sauce it tomato based, it just soaks into the pasta and makes it even more flavorful. Tomorrow's lunch will be awesome, too.

This is an ideal weeknight dinner. If you've planned ahead and have all the ingredients, you can whip this up in no time. Yes, things need to simmer, but you can get on with other things while that's happening. It's a one pot wonder. Serve it with a crunchy salad with a zesty dressing and have some crunchy garlic bread alongside. A glass of wine wouldn't go amiss, either. I can't think of a better way to spend a Monday night.

Magical Properties of Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a lusty little fruit in the metaphysical world. Sacred to love goddesses like Aphrodite and Venus, tomatoes are often used in love spells and are considered an aphrodisiac. With their many seeds, they can also be used for creativity and prosperity, and they have protective qualities as well. I know those little hairs on the stems certainly make me want to stay away. Tomatoes are tied to the element of water and ruled by Jupiter and the Moon. (Source: The Kitchen Witch's Guide to Healing & Self-Care by Maggie Haseman)

For more on the magical properties of the ingredients in this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Ingredients

Here's everything you'll need to make this recipe. All the details are in the recipe card below.

• Olive oil
• Onion
• Salt
• Italian sausage - removed from the casing
• Tomato Passata - or your favorite tomato sauce
• Fusilli
• Fresh basil - optional but delightful
• Parmesan cheese - or other hard Italian cheese

Tips for making Fusilli with Sausage

Like I said, this recipe is simple. It starts the way most good recipes do by sauteeing an onion until softened. Start with a big pot so that you can bring everything together at the end. Then brown your sausage, breaking it up into small pieces as it cooks. Finally, add the passata and a pinch of salt. Turn the heat as low as it goes, slap a lid on, and let is simmer for about 20 minutes.

When the timer is up, add some water to your kettle and boil your pasta. If you're going to boil your water in the pot, it may take longer, so much start sooner in the process. Then drop your pasta and cook it until it's al dente, about 10 minutes. Reserve a bit of the pasta cooking water before draining.

Then add the cooked pasta to the sauce, and give it a stir. If it needs to be thinned out, add some of the pasta water you saved. Serve it up hot with some chopped fresh basil and sprinkle on some Parmesan cheese. That's all there is to it.

Any day that ends with Fusilli with Sausage is bound to be a good day. Go make it awesome.

Looking for more awesome pasta recipes? Try this Orzo with Bacon & Peas or some Potato & Pancetta Mac & Cheese.

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Recipe slightly adapted from At My Table by Nigella Lawson.

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