Well this is what I made for lunch yesterday: Hot Italian sausage with Vodka sauce. A simple quick dish. Serves four.
Was looking through my pantry and found this pouch of Bertolli Vodka Rustica sauce. Hmm been sitting there a while... Back says:
Best by Oct 09!

Oh well.
Then I realized the sausage had made it's way into the smoker over the weekend with the Polish and Brats. Another oh well...
8 oz dried Rigatoni
1 medium onion halved & sliced (I like white)
1 Tbs of minced garlic
1 lb cooked Italian sausage roughly chopped
1 pouch expired Vodka sauce
1 tsp olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper per preference
Parmesan (grated)
Bring salted water to a boil and add rigatoni. Meanwhile:
Saute onion in oil until slightly translucent add garlic then remove to a plate. Sizzle the sausage and add the onions. Once incorporated remove to plate again. Heat up sauce in pan and reduce slightly. Add sausage and onion. Much of the grease remains on the plate.

Salt and Pepper to taste.
Simmer sauce until pasta is aldente. Drain pasta and place on serving dish or platter. Top with the sauce and cheese. Serve!
Usually I'll skin the raw sausage and roughly chop it up. The smoked sausage brings a little something different. The casing gives a nice crunch but it isn't my preference. Not bad though. The addition of bell pepper to this dish would really improve it. Overall very tasty and filling.
Normally I'll make my own tomato sauce but the stragglers in the pantry need culling.




Cap I'll try to do a fresh pasta this weekend. A rustic wide-cut noodle with Bolognese sauce sound nice?