Sausage and Roasted Cauliflower Spaghetti

We have been having some fall/winter type weather these past couple of days, so the roasted cauliflower was a nice match.

salt and pepper for seasoning
spaghetti (I used whole wheat spaghetti)
olive oil
1 lb ground spicy Italian sausage (use mild if you want to skip the heat)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets
1 onion, sliced into thick slices
1 - 7oz sun dried tomato pesto (make your own or store bought. I purchased at Trader Joes)
shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

On a flat sheet pan, place cauliflower florets down with garlic and onions. Drizzle with olive oil and season well with salt and pepper. Toss to coat evenly. Place in the oven and roast for about 25 to 30 minutes. Mix ever so often to get a nice even roast.

While cauliflower is roasting, begin bring water to a boil for the pasta.

Drizzle non-stick sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage and brown and crumble while sautéing.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Once pasta, cauliflower and sausage are done, place cooked pasta in a large bowl. Stir in sun dried tomato pesto and mix well. Add sausage and mix together. Finish by adding roasted cauliflower. Gently mix all together (the cauliflower will be fragile, so mix gently so you do not break them up to much).

Serve pasta in a pasta bowl and top with shredded parmesan. Serve and ENJOY!!!!

Wine pairing......Cabernet Sauvignon or Sangiovese.

Nachos

I kow the picture is not that beautiful, but trust me...these were awesome.  Everyone in the family had two helpings.  Would be great for a Super Bowl party or tailgating.  Yes, those are hot carrots used as an additional garnish (optional).  The pickled jalapenos I purchased had hot carrots, so I decided to use some.  Gave it a good kick!

1 tbsp tomato paste
1 - 14.5 oz can of spicy or zesty refried beans
1 lb ground sirloin
1 small onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp ancho chile powder
1/2 tbsp ground cumin
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp paprika
salt and pepper for seasoning
olive oil
round tortilla chips
1 to 1 1/2 cups shredded mexican blend cheese
1 avocado, diced
1 tsp lime juice
1 jalapeno, minced
1/2 cup tomatoes, finely diced
sliced pickled jalapeno for garnish
chopped cilantro for garnish
Salsa

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Drizzle sauté pan with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add ground beef, tomato paste, onion, garlic, chile powder, cumin, coriander, paprika and season with salt and pepper. Sauté and crumble beef until it is fully cooked. Reduce heat to a simmer.

In a medium sized sauce pot, cook refried beans until heated completely through.

Using a large sheet pan, top each tortilla chip with refried beans and then ground beef mixture. Once you have used up all the beans and ground beef mixture, top chips with shredded cheese. Place in the oven and bake for about 8 minutes or until cheese is fully melted.

While nachos are baking, mix avocado, lime juice, diced jalapeno and tomatoes in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper.

Once nachos are done, place desired amount of avocado mixture in the middle of the plate. Lay nachos around the avocado mixture. Garnish with sliced pickled jalapenos, cilantro and salsa. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Wine pairing...........Zinfandel or Syrah.

Bean, Sausage and Kale Pasta Fagioli

You can make this with either mild Italian or spicy Italian ground sausage. Use either chicken broth or vegetable broth. Serve with garlic bread. 

olive oil
5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped and then smashed
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes (do not add if you are using spicy Italian sausage, unless you like it hot)
1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped
1 - 4 oz chopped pancetta
1 - 14.5 oz diced tomatoes
salt and pepper for seasoning
dried red beans (soaked overnight)
1 lb ground Italian sausage (mild or spicy)
2 bay leaves
shredded parmesan cheese
2 cups small pasta shells
1 bunch of kale, chopped (stems and ribs discarded)
3 quarts of broth (vegetable or chicken)

Drizzle dutch oven or large stock pot with olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add garlic, onion, red pepper flakes (if using), rosemary and pancetta. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté until the fat on the pancetta renders off and onions start to become translucent. Stir in tomatoes and cook for about 2 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper. Add the beans, broth and bay leaves. Season with additional salt and pepper. Cover and bring to a boil, then reduce to low simmer and cook for about 2 hours (until beans are soft).

About an hour in to the cooking process of the beans, drizzle olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan and heat over medium-high heat. Add ground sausage and cook until browned, crumble while cooking. Then add to the bean mixture and finish cooking.

Once beans are done, uncover and bring to a medium boil. Add pasta and cook until pasta is cooked. Add kale and stir to complete mix. Continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with more salt and pepper if necessary. Remove bay leaves.

Serve soup in a pasta bowl and top with shredded parmesan cheese. Serve and ENJOY!!!!!

Wine pairing................Merlot or Meritage.