Knock your socks off Pasta Surprise
Posted: Sun Sep 21, 2014 1:54 pm
Knock your socks off pasta surprise.
The trick here is the El Pato brand tomato sauce. This is good stuff but IS a bit spicy but not overly so. Trying to duplicate this sauce might be a challenge, so I recommend you don't try it. It should be available at most Mexican food stores or in the Mexican food isle at the market. I personally buy it by the case in 8oz cans (about $24.00/case/48 cans). It comes in a YELLOW can. There's is an El Pato Jalapeno sauce that comes in a green can and that recipe will be for another day.
This isn't anything truly special other than the type of tomato sauce used, but it IS tasty and NOT for those that think Taco Bell hot sauce it TOO hot (that stuff is for small pets and toddlers). For people that have a more mature appetite and can handle some heat (hence surprise), I submit the following:
What you'll need:
1 package Italian sausage (five links, I use "medium")
1/8th stick butter (note: BUTTER)
1 8oz can sliced mushrooms (use fresh if you like)
1 8oz can El Pato brand tomato sauce (no substitutions with this it's the key ingredient!)
1 jar Paul Newman's brand Mushroom Marinara
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 pkg. (12oz) Rotini pasta. I use the colored variety Just use as much as you need to feed your group, don't cook the whole package unless you need to. You can use the left over sauce for pizza sauce/topping if you want to!
Garlic bread if you like. Enough to go around.
Side dishes as you feel appropriate.
Salt? Not needed.
Pepper? Nope.
Garlic? You COULD experiment if ya wanna.
Onion? See Garlic.
What to do:
In a normally large skillet, brown the sausage links in the butter.
When about 75% browned, add the mushrooms and the El Pato brand sauce.
Simmer slowly, slightly covered, to reduce the liquid until it's almost a paste, about 20 minutes. Stir it often enough to make sure it doesn't burn. Add a LITTLE water if needed, but let it thicken to the point where it's not soupy any longer and is getting pretty sticky.
At this point you have a choice, you can leave the sausage links whole or slice them up if you like to wolf your food down without having to use anything as elegant as a knife during the meal. I prefer the knife method myself. If you choose to cut them up, remove the pan from heat while doing that and return to heat when done. If the sausage looks like it's not done yet, don't worry about it because it has more cooking to do and will be done when you're finished. Yes, put the cut up sausage back in the pan.
Once the liquid has been reduced, start the water boiling for the pasta and add the Newman's sauce and diced tomatoes to the skillet.
Cover mostly (not tightly) and simmer at a good rate while the pasta is boiling. I cook my pasta kinda slow, about 20 mins worth. Stir occasionally while the pasta cooks. The sauce should not be "runny" when it's right for serving.
When the pasta is done, hopefully you've timed everything else right and so will be the rest of the meal. Serve the mixture on a bed of pasta (drained of course and, I like to let the pasta sit for a few minutes spread out on a plate until it isn't so steamy before dishing up the sauce. Seems to help the sauce stick to them better.) along with anything else you've prepared and there ya go!
This is a great winter meal and really has some zing to warm you up.
I hope you try it and enjoy!
Here's what you'll be looking for while shopping:
One side of the can is English, the other, Spanish.
Yo-
The trick here is the El Pato brand tomato sauce. This is good stuff but IS a bit spicy but not overly so. Trying to duplicate this sauce might be a challenge, so I recommend you don't try it. It should be available at most Mexican food stores or in the Mexican food isle at the market. I personally buy it by the case in 8oz cans (about $24.00/case/48 cans). It comes in a YELLOW can. There's is an El Pato Jalapeno sauce that comes in a green can and that recipe will be for another day.
This isn't anything truly special other than the type of tomato sauce used, but it IS tasty and NOT for those that think Taco Bell hot sauce it TOO hot (that stuff is for small pets and toddlers). For people that have a more mature appetite and can handle some heat (hence surprise), I submit the following:
What you'll need:
1 package Italian sausage (five links, I use "medium")
1/8th stick butter (note: BUTTER)
1 8oz can sliced mushrooms (use fresh if you like)
1 8oz can El Pato brand tomato sauce (no substitutions with this it's the key ingredient!)
1 jar Paul Newman's brand Mushroom Marinara
1 15oz can diced tomatoes
1 pkg. (12oz) Rotini pasta. I use the colored variety Just use as much as you need to feed your group, don't cook the whole package unless you need to. You can use the left over sauce for pizza sauce/topping if you want to!
Garlic bread if you like. Enough to go around.
Side dishes as you feel appropriate.
Salt? Not needed.
Pepper? Nope.
Garlic? You COULD experiment if ya wanna.
Onion? See Garlic.
What to do:
In a normally large skillet, brown the sausage links in the butter.
When about 75% browned, add the mushrooms and the El Pato brand sauce.
Simmer slowly, slightly covered, to reduce the liquid until it's almost a paste, about 20 minutes. Stir it often enough to make sure it doesn't burn. Add a LITTLE water if needed, but let it thicken to the point where it's not soupy any longer and is getting pretty sticky.
At this point you have a choice, you can leave the sausage links whole or slice them up if you like to wolf your food down without having to use anything as elegant as a knife during the meal. I prefer the knife method myself. If you choose to cut them up, remove the pan from heat while doing that and return to heat when done. If the sausage looks like it's not done yet, don't worry about it because it has more cooking to do and will be done when you're finished. Yes, put the cut up sausage back in the pan.
Once the liquid has been reduced, start the water boiling for the pasta and add the Newman's sauce and diced tomatoes to the skillet.
Cover mostly (not tightly) and simmer at a good rate while the pasta is boiling. I cook my pasta kinda slow, about 20 mins worth. Stir occasionally while the pasta cooks. The sauce should not be "runny" when it's right for serving.
When the pasta is done, hopefully you've timed everything else right and so will be the rest of the meal. Serve the mixture on a bed of pasta (drained of course and, I like to let the pasta sit for a few minutes spread out on a plate until it isn't so steamy before dishing up the sauce. Seems to help the sauce stick to them better.) along with anything else you've prepared and there ya go!
This is a great winter meal and really has some zing to warm you up.
I hope you try it and enjoy!
Here's what you'll be looking for while shopping:
One side of the can is English, the other, Spanish.
Yo-
