A few months back I was flipping through a magazine, trying to keep
up with the latest fashion/beauty/health trends, when I came across
some good-looking pasta recipes. I usually steer clear of recipes found
in trend magazines, but a couple of them looked interesting enough to
try out. As you might have guessed, one of the recipes I found was for
the Pasta with Red Grapes and Sausage, or as Greg likes to call it,
“Grapeful Pasta.” I had never had pasta that used grapes in the sauce,
and it is incredible how flavorful the grapes make the dish. They burst
and explode. and then the pasta is coated in their juices. The red
grapes make a savory sweet sauce that pairs well with all of the other
ingredients – a yummy combination of sweet, spicy, and salty.
Not only does this meal taste good, it also provides some nice health
benefits. Red grapes are high in antioxidants that fight inflammation –
nobody likes inflammation. I have made this dish many times, and I
never get sick of eating it for dinner. This meal also saves really
well for leftovers. I’m “grapeful” that I found this recipe while going
through that magazine!
Pasta with Red Grapes & Sausage Recipe
INGREDIENTS:
3
Aidells Chicken Sausage Links, cut in to 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices
2 Tbsp. of olive oil
1 small red onion, cut in to very thin and small slices
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. plus 1/4 tsp. of kosher salt, divided
2 cups of seedless red grapes
1 cup of chicken broth
1/4 - 1/2 tsp. of crushed red pepper flakes (totally based upon your heat-threshold preferences)
12-ounces of whole grain penne pasta
3 Tbsp. of grated fresh Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of fresh parsley or 2 Tbsp. of dried parsley flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS: Put 1 tbsp. of olive oil in a very
large saucepan set over medium heat. Add the sausage to the pan and
cook, stirring frequently until sausage is browned (about 10 minutes).
Once sausage is done cooking, remove it from the pan using a slotted spoon
and put it on to a plate. Set aside. Add another 1 tbsp. of oil to the
saucepan and return the heat to medium. Add the onions and the garlic
to the pan with 1/4 tsp. of kosher salt and stir until the onions are
soft, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the red grapes, broth, and red
pepper flakes. Increase the heat to medium-high. Stir the mixture and
cook for about 10 minutes, or until the grapes burst and the sauce
thickens. While the grapes are cooking, bring a large pot of water to
boil. Once grapes have burst and have cooked for at least 10 minutes,
return the sausage to the saucepan with the grapes and stir. Turn off
the stovetop.
When the water boils, add the 1 tbsp. of kosher salt to the pot. Add in
the pasta and cook as directed on pasta package. When pasta is done,
drain the pasta well and then add it to the saucepan. Turn the heat to
high. Cook until the sausage is hot and the pasta is coated with the
sauce, about one minute. Remove from heat and divide amongst serving
dishes. Top each serving with parsley, Parmesan, and freshly ground
pepper. Enjoy!
Adapted from:
Self Magazine
NOTE:
When I first started to cook I would follow recipes and sometimes come
across terms that I was not familiar with. One of the terms that
stumped me a bit was the word “divided” when seen on an ingredients
list. When you see
the word “divided,” it simply means that the recipe will use the
ingredient in more than just one step. In the pasta recipe, the word
“divided” is used with the olive oil and kosher salt.
Example:
“1 Tbsp. plus 1/4 tsp. of kosher salt, divided” 1 Tbsp. of the kosher
salt is used in the pot of boiling water, and the other 1/4 tsp. is
used in the saucepan with the onion and garlic.
Example:
“2 Tbsp. of extra-virgin olive oil, divided” 1 Tbsp. of the olive oil
is used in the saucepan to cook the sausage, and the other 1 Tbsp. is
used to cook the garlic and onion.
Don’t fret when you see the word
“divided” in a recipe, it doesn’t mean that you will have to solve any
math problems! Just remember not to use the divided ingredient all at
once – it’s simple division.
Add the onion flakes, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, tomatoes and 2 Tbsp. of olive oil to the pan with the Orzo. Set the pan over medium high heat and allow it to come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer, stirring frequently, while it cooks for 15 - 17 minutes. Then add in the chicken sausages to the pan and stir. Cook for another minute or two. Remove from heat and drizzle the remaining 1/2 Tbsp. of olive oil over the entire dish. Divide amongst serving dishes and top each with some torn basil leaves, grated cheese and black pepper.
