Food experiment #3: Sausage & Peppers Versions 1 & 2; Sauteed Fennel & Sweet Onions

G and I have had a whirlwind couple of weeks. We left on the night of Tue 12.22.09 to start the drive to his hometown for Christmas, completing the journey at around dinnertime on Wed the 23rd, after a quick visit with my dear friends Sansev and Kate (and their significant others, a couples meal, how cute and grown-up!). Some of the activities we did during the following week included: a big upstairs-family Christmas Eve, Christmas Mass and Christmas dinner (aka lunch) the next day, dinner at Mills Tavern in Providence with the family on Saturday the 26th, A Christmas Carol at Trinity followed by dinner at Hemenway's in Providence on Sunday, and then shopping on Monday, followed by a home-cooked-by-me meal for G and his parents. Plus, we went to the local slots-only Twin Rivers casino for a couple of hours that night, and visited G's friends and their adorable 16-month-old daughter and teeny-tiny 3-week old son on Tuesday evening. And of course, the 9-hour, 2-break drive back home on Wednesday the 30th. Whew, lots of activity packed into not a lot of days!

But anyway, let's get back to the home-cooked meal.

I regularly make some variation of sausage and peppers with pasta for G and me. I figured G's parents would appreciate this homey, hearty dish, too, accompanied by sauteed fennel and onions, with a simple strawberry shortcake for dessert. I also figured it would be a relatively easy meal to prepare, given the potential limitations of the local Stop'n'Shop and the definite limitations of the old-fashioned kitchen. Long story short, the Stop'n'Shop hot Italian sausage was surprisingly delicious, and the meal was a huge hit. Now for the recipe:

Sausage & Peppers 1.0 [6 servings]
This is the original version, with minimal sauce.

1 lb short pasta, like rotini
1.5 lb hot Italian sausages (usually I use turkey sausages, but pork sausages will work, too)
3 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
crushed red pepper, to taste
1 small can tomato paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat water and cook pasta, according to box directions, while cooking the sausage & peppers sauce. When pasta is cooked, drain and set aside, reserving about 1/2 cup of pasta cooking water.

Remove sausages from casings, slice into small chunks, and add to a large pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. (Usually, I just tear off small chunks right into the pan.) Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the sausages begin to brown, add pepper and onion slices. When the onion becomes translucent, add the garlic. Continue to cook over medium heat until sausage is cooked through. Add reserved pasta cooking water, starting with 1/4 cup and adding additional liquid as needed, and tomato paste. Add crushed red pepper, if desired. Allow to simmer for a few minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Add reserved pasta to the pan and combine with the sausage and peppers mixture, then serve.

Sausage & Peppers, 2.0 [6 servings]
This is the new version, with a lot of sauce.

1 lb short pasta, like rotini
1.5 lb hot Italian sausages (usually I use turkey sausages, but pork sausages will work, too)
3 green bell peppers, thinly sliced
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 (28oz) can diced tomatoes, no salt added
crushed red pepper, to taste
1 small can tomato paste
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat water and cook pasta, according to box directions, while cooking the sausage & peppers sauce. When pasta is cooked, drain and reserve.

Remove sausages from casings, slice into small chunks, and add to a large skillet with about a tablespoon of olive oil. (Usually, I just tear off small chunks right into the pan.) Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the sausages begin to brown, add pepper and onion slices. When the onion becomes translucent, add the garlic. Continue to cook over medium heat until sausage is cooked through. Add diced tomatoes, with liquid. Add crushed red pepper, if desired. Allow to simmer for a few minutes, then add tomato paste to thicken. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Serve sausage & peppers sauce over pasta.

Sauteed Fennel and Sweet Onions [4 servings]
Adapted from Chris Sanseverino's "recipe"

1 large fennel/anise bulb
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt & pepper, to taste

Using just the white bulbous part of the fennel, core the bulb and remove the outer layer as needed, then thinly slice the bulb. Thoroughly wash and drain.

In a large skillet, heat olive over medium-high heat, then add the fennel and onion slices. Saute, stirring occasionally, until well-caramelized and browned. Add salt and a little black pepper, to taste.