From My Pantry : A quick pasta supper for Halloween night

We no longer have little ones to dress up and take out for Halloween fun but I remember the hustle and bustle of times past. Gathering the costumes, having an early supper and getting all the kids ready to go out and trick or treat. Part of this meal can be made the night before so the big day of, you can have supper ready in less than 20 minutes. And it is really delicious!

A QUICK PASTA SUPPER

(6 large servings)

INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 to 2 lb. mild or hot Italian sausages
• 1 each red, yellow and orange sweet peppers
• 1 red onion
• 1/2 large Spanish onion
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 12 oz. (340 gm.) pkg. vegetable fusilli
• Parmesan for sprinkling

METHOD:
-The night before, take out a nice deep frying pan, non stick preferred.
-Heat over medium heat and add the Italian sausage meat which you squeeze out of their casings. Cook the sausage, breaking upthe meat as it is browning. Cook until all of the meat is thoroughly cooked.
-Cool the meat and place in a container or ziploc bag. Refrigerate.
-At this point, you could also chop and dice the peppers and onions and place them in a container in the fridge overnight. This will be less prep for you tomorrow.
-Halloween night, put a large pot of hot tap water on to boil for the pasta. Place the lid on the pot and the water will come to a boil more faster. Once boiling, add a tbsp. of salt and cook the pasta. It will be done in about 9 minutes.
-Take the sausage meat out of the fridge. Set aside for now.
-Meanwhile, seed and core the peppers and chop them up into bite-sized pieces.
-Slice and dice the onions.
-Take a nice deep frying pan and add 3 tbsp. of olive oil. Heat and add the diced peppers and onions and saute them to soften. This will take about 5 minutes.
-When they are just about done, add in the minced garlic. Cook for just one minute longer.
-Stir in the sausage meat and continue to cook until everything is heated through.
-The pasta should be ready to drain now, reserve some of the pasta water.
-Add the drained pasta to the sausage mixture. Stir to combine.
-I added a ladleful of the pasta water to the mix just to loosen up everything. You decide .
-Serve up this delicious dish in deep bowls and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
-It was so tasty that Gary went back for a second helping. ENJOY!