Pasta with Sausage and Pecorino

Hope everyone's having a great weekend.  It's raining here...a little cold....a little gloomy.

So I wanted to throw out a quick post for a great lunch dish, nothing fancy, just something simple but hearty and satisfying...

Pasta with Sausage and Pecorino

The sausage gives it some hearty texture and the pecorino lends a nutty flavor.  The sauce is made from light fresh tomatoes...quick and easy.  Great for an easy lunch or a light dinner.

The technique is simple.  Boil the pasta in one pot and in a skillet cook the sausage and onions.  Make the sauce by adding the garlic and tomatoes, allowing to cook to release the juices. 

Then just add the pasta to the sauce and stir to combine.  Add a little cheese for some gooeyness then follow with the remaining ingredients and your done....

Yum!

Pasta with Sausage and Pecorino
serves 4

8 oz uncooked penne

8 oz Italian sausage, sweet or hot
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/3 cup onion, sliced

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 1/4 pounds roma tomatoes, chopped

6 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheesesalt & pepper

1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Directions:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Remove casings from sausage.   Add oil to the skillet and heat.  Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and cook another 2 minutes.  

Turn the heat off and add the drained pasta and 2 tablespoons of cheese.  Stir to coat.    Season with salt & pepper.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and basil. 

  

Sunday Supper: Grilled Flank Steak in an Adobo Tomato Sauce

Where's the beef?

How do you feed a family steak on a budget?  Buy flank steak baby!

Flank steak is a long, flat cut of meat.  It's leaner but also tougher than other cuts and often used in braising or grilling.  When buying the meat should be bright red and cooked to a medium doneness at the most, to retain some tenderness.  TIP:  To keep this meat tender after cooking, cut it across the grain.  This is very important!

Because of it's long flat surface you can serve quite a few people easily. Yeah, cost savings!

This makes a perfect dish for this week's Sunday Supper.  This week I have a whole menu to share with you.  Here's our Sunday Supper Menu:

Grilled Flank Steak in an Adobo Tomato Sauce

Spicy Oven Baked Steak Fries

Mixed Green Salad with Creamy Feta and Red Onion Dressing

All three of these dishes compliment each other based upon the spiciness in each dish.  If you like spice, this is the menu for you.  Each dish can also be toned down for more delicate palates by adjusting the amount of spice used.  The recipe for the beef is down below.  I posted the recipes for the fries and the dressing earlier this week.  You can follow the links above to view those as well.
So let's talk about cooking flank steak.  It is a nice cut of meat, and you will end up with spicy, succulent slices of steak.  It's also quick easy to make, so it would be good as a weeknight meal as well.  Any leftovers could be used as steak tacos, or a steak salad, or as a steak sandwich.  It's very versatile.
For this dish all you need to do is salt and pepper your steak.  I grilled mine indoors on my new Calphalon grill pan.  Love that pan!  This steak fits perfectly on the pan, but you can cut the steak in two pieces to adjust the fit.  Place the steak in a hot skillet over medium-high heat.

Cook 8 minutes per side turning once to reach medium doneness.

Meanwhile combine the adobo sauce from a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and the tomato paste in a small bowl.  Stir to combine.

During the last few minutes of cooking slather on the adobo-tomato sauce mixture.  Do one side, let it cook for 1 1/2 minutes, turn the meat over, slather sauce on the other side, and allow to cook another 1 1/2 minutes.  Note:  The adobo sauce is HOT!  Adjust the amount of heat by using a little sauce or a lot.

Remove steak from the pan to a cutting board to rest for about 5 min.  Tent a sheet of foil over the meat to keep warm.

Slice the meat across the grain.  This would be across the length.  You should be able to see the drain running the length of the meat.  You want to cut across this which will keep your meat tender.

Serve!

And here's the whole Sunday Supper...yum yum!

Grilled Flank Steak in an Adobo Tomato Sauce

recipe adapted from Sandra Lee

serves 4

1 7oz. can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
1 t tomato paste
1 1 1/2 lb flank steak
1 t salt
1/2 t pepper

In a small bowl place 2 tablespoons adobo sauce, reserving chipotle peppers and remaining sauce for another use.  Stir in tomato paste.

Heat grill pan over medium high heat.  Sprinkle steak with salt and pepper.  Cook steak for 8 minutes on each side for medium doneness.  Brush with adobo mixture during the last two minutes of cooking.  Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.  Slice meat against the grain.

linked to:  Melt in your mouth monday

Spicy Oven Baked Steak Fries

I love me some fries...

But dang it, they are fried...you know in oil! 

Now in this day and age you can't go around eatin' french fries all the time.
And I LOVE me some fries!

So I discovered oven fries a couple of years back, and tricked myself out into thinking..."they are just like french fries".  And you know what?  They really are....maybe not a crispy, but every bit as tasty and a lot healthier. 

And I LOVE me some fries!

So here's a different version, a spicy steak fry.  I mean these babies have KICK!  You can certainly reduce the heat if you feel the need, but they are slammin!

These are really easy to make using nice russet potatoes.  I like those best for my oven fries.

Let's make some Spicy Oven Baked Steak Fries.

So you'll want to wash and peel them.  Then slice the potato in half lengthwise, and cut each half in half again so you have planks.  You'll have about 4 plank or more per potato.  Lay each plank down flat and slice in to medium or large sized steak fries.

Once you've done that you just need to drizzle with a nice olive oil, then sprinkle on the spices.  I used, salt, cracked black pepper, cumin, and red pepper flakes.

Lay them out flat on a large baking sheet.  Bake them in a 450 degree preheated oven for about 15 min.  Then turn them over to brown on the other side and cook for another 10 min. 

All done!  Spicy Oven Baked Steak Fries....Smokin"!

Spicy Oven Baked Steak Fries

serves 4

2 large russet potatoes
olive oil for drizzling
1/4 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1/2 t cumin
1/4 to 1/2 t red pepper flakes

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Wash and peel potatoes.  Slice potatoes in half and then in to planks.  Slice each plank in to medium or large steak fry wedges. 

Drizzle olive oil over potatoes.  Sprinkle with all seasoning, tossing to cover.  Place potatoes flat on a large baking pan.  Cook for 15 min.  Take out and turn over to brown the other side.  Return to oven and bake another 10 min. or until golden brown.  Serve warm.