Eye for a Recipe

Sausage, spinach, cheese, pasta — comfort food at its best! This recipe is from a magazine ad for dairy products and it’s great for supper on a cold winter night. Cook pasta shells and drain. Meanwhile, cook the onion, garlic and sausage. Add the spinach and cook until it wilts. Transfer the meat mixture to a bowl and add the cheeses. Spread the tomato sauce over the bottom of a baking dish, stuff the shells, place them on top of the sauce and bake.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for sausages without additives, such as PC Free From brand. Tre Stelle ricotta is additive-free, as is genuine Parmesan cheese. I used Hunt’s tomato sauce.

Cook the onions, garlic sausage

Add the spinach

Cook until the spinach wilts

Stuff shells and place on top of tomato sauce. Top with Parmesan.

Bake until the sauce is bubbling and the cheese is golden

Sausage, spinach and ricotta cheese shells

Ingredients:

32 uncooked jumbo pasta shells

1 tbsp (15 ml) of olive oil

1 small onion, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

4 Italian sausages, casings removed

6 oz (170 g) of spinach, chopped finely

14 oz (400) of ricotta cheese

¾ cup (180 ml) of grated Parmesan cheese

½ tsp (2.5 ml) of sea salt

22 ounces (640 ml) of store-bought tomato sauce

Fresh Italian parsley, minced

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 F (205 C). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta shells according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

While the shells are cooking, heat the olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and Italian sausages. Using a wooden spoon, break up the sausage meat and sauté until fully cooked, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes.

Transfer the sausage mixture to a large mixing bowl. Add the ricotta cheese, ½ cup (125 ml) of the grated Parmesan cheese and the sea salt, and mix to combine.

Spread the tomato sauce over the bottom of a large baking dish. Generously fill the cooked shells with the sausage and cheese mixture and set over the tomato sauce. Sprinkle with the remaining Saputo grated Parmesan cheese and bake 25 to 30 minutes, until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is golden. Garnish with Italian parsley and serve. Serves 8.

From Saputo Dairy Products

This hearty soup from Canadian Living’s Best Soups and Stews is a perfect lunch or light dinner after you’ve been outside enjoying the wintry weather. Brown sausage, add vegetables, spices, tomatoes and stock and simmer. You can make keep this in the fridge for two days and it also freezes well.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Check the sausage, spices, tomatoes, chickpeas and stock for additives, preservatives and colour. I used “Free From” mild Italian sausage, Imagine stock, Blue Menu chickpeas and Unico tomatoes.

Use any kind of sausage you like

Brown sausage and vegetables

Add tomatoes, spices, chickpeas, stock and simmer

Ingredients:

1 lb. (500 g) fresh turkey sausage or any sausage you like

1 tsp (5 ml) vegetable oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large carrot, chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 jalapeno peppers, sliced thinly or chopped

1 tsp (5 ml) ground cumin

½ tsp (2 ml) ground coriander

½ tsp (2 ml) paprika

¼ tsp (1 ml) chili powder

¼ tsp (1 ml) pepper

1 19 oz (540 ml) can tomatoes or chopped tomatoes

1 19 oz (540 ml) can chickpeas

3 cups (750 ml) chicken stock

¼ cup (50 ml) fresh coriander or parsley, chopped

1 avocado

2 limes

Preparation:

Remove casings from sausage; cut into slices or break into chunks. In large pot, heat oil over medium heat; cook sausage, without stirring, for 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes or until vegetables are softened and sausage is cooked through. Skim off any excess fat.

Stir in jalapeno peppers, cumin, ground coriander, paprika, chili powder and pepper; cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Pour in tomatoes (breaking up with a spoon if using whole tomatoes). Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, drain and rinse chickpeas; stir into pot along with stock and 2 tbsp (25 ml) of the fresh coriander. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Halve avocado and remove pit. Cut through flesh to skin lengthwise and crosswise to dice; with spoon, scoop out cubes into bowl. Squeeze juice from one of the limes and toss juice with avocado. Slice remaining lime into 8 wedges. Garnish each serving with avocado and lime wedge. Sprinkle with remaining coriander. Makes 8 servings.

From Canadian Living’s Best Soups and Stews

If you are in the mood for some comfort food, try this baked pasta from Bon Appetit. It includes harissa, a North African hot chili pepper paste made from chipotle and spices. To tone down the spiciness of this dish, use a mild sausage instead of a hot one.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I have not been able to find preservative-free harissa, so I make it from scratch with canned chipotles and spices. The recipe is below. Look for sausage, canned tomatoes and feta with no preservatives. I use President’s Choice “Free From” sausages, Unico tomatoes and Tre Stelle feta.

Brown the sausage and slice into bite-sized pieces

Saute onion

Add tomatoes and other ingredients

Add cooked pasta and feta, transfer to baking dish and bake for about 20 minutes

Ingredients:

Harissa

2 tablespoons (30 ml) sweet paprika

1 chipotle in adobo, minced, plus 1 teaspoon (5 ml) adobo sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground cumin

2 teaspoons (10 ml) ground caraway

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Pasta

1 teaspoon (5 ml) caraway seeds

1 teaspoon (5 ml) cumin seeds

1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil

12 ounces (340 g) hot or sweet Italian sausage

1 medium onion, chopped

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1 28-ounce (828 ml) can whole peeled tomatoes

1 tablespoon (15 ml) harissa paste (see recipe above)

Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper

8 ounces (226 g) medium shell-shaped pasta

3 ounces (85 g) feta, crumbled

A spice mill or a mortar and pestle

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400° F (200° C)

For the harissa, combine all ingredients into a paste. Set aside.

Grind caraway and cumin in a spice mill or with a mortar and pestle; set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Cook sausage until browned all over but still pink in the center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and let cool slightly. Slice into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces.

Add onion to same skillet and cook, stirring often, until soft, 6–8 minutes. Add garlic and reserved spices. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add tomatoes, crushing, and juices, then harissa. Cook until sauce thickens slightly, 6–8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until very al dente (about 3 minutes less than package directions; it will be firm in the center). Drain, reserving ¼ cup (60 ml) cooking liquid.

Add sausage, pasta, and cooking liquid to skillet; toss to coat. Transfer to a 3-qt. (2.8 L) baking dish, top with feta, and bake until top is browned and juices are bubbling, 18–22 minutes. Serves 4.

From Bon Appetit

This pasta dish from Martha Stewart Living is quick and tasty. Roast eggplant and tomatoes, sauté some sausage meat and then combine with cooked pasta, olives and cheese. Cook’s note: Smaller Japanese eggplants are best for this dish; if you can’t find them, slice a larger eggplant crosswise and then cut into coin-sized pieces.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Use sausage and olives with no additives or preservatives and cheese that does not contain colour.

Roast the eggplant and tomatoes

Remove sausage meat from casings and saute

Penne with roasted eggplant, tomatoes, sausage and olives

Ingredients:

4 cups (1 L) cherry tomatoes, preferably a mix of red, orange, and yellow

4 Japanese eggplants, cut crosswise into ½ -inch (1.27 cm) rounds

4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled

2 tablespoons (30 ml) extra-virgin olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

1 pound (450 g) penne

4 links sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 cup (250 ml) pitted Kalamata olives

½ cup (125 ml) grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving

Small fresh basil leaves, for serving

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (218 C). Divide tomatoes, eggplants, and garlic between two rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle with oil; season with salt. Toss to combine, then spread in a single layer. Roast until eggplants are tender and browned in spots, about 25 minutes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add salt. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than instructed on package. Drain, reserving 1 cup (250 ml) pasta water.

Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-high. Cook sausage, breaking it into small pieces, until browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Add reserved pasta water; cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, until almost evaporated.

In a large bowl, combine eggplant mixture, sausage, olives, pasta, and cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Top with basil and serve immediately, with more cheese alongside. Serves 4.

From the March 2015 issue of Martha Stewart Living

Spring may be just around the corner, but while there is still a chill in the air try this delicious baked pasta from Lucy Waverman. This is comfort food at its best – Italian sausages, a creamy sauce and five kinds of cheese. Enjoy it with a salad and a glass of wine.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Look for sausages without fillers or preservatives and for wine with a sulfite count lower than 10 parts per million. Cheese may contain colour, so read the label carefully. Use butter that contains only cream.

After browning sausage, mix ingredients in a bowl

Place pasta in glass baking dish and top with cheese

Bake until bubbling and brown on top

Ingredients:

12 oz (375 g) rigatoni

2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

3 mild Italian sausages, meat removed from casings (14 oz or 400 g)

½ tsp (5 ml) chili flakes

½ cup (125 ml) white wine

1 cup (250 ml) whipping cream

1 cup (250 ml) milk

8 oz (250 g) ricotta

1 4-oz (125 g) ball buffalo mozzarella, sliced

8 oz (250 g) grated fontina

4 oz (125 g) grated ricotta salata (or feta)

1 cup (250 ml) green peas, defrosted if frozen

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 tbsp (15 ml) butter

½ (125 ml) cup grated Parmesan

Preparation:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add rigatoni and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until pasta is slightly undercooked (it will continue to cook as it bakes). Drain and reserve, reserving 1 cup (250 ml) cooking water separately.

Heat oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Crumble in sausage meat and cook, breaking up with a fork, until it loses its pinkness, 4 to 5 minutes. Add chili flakes and cook for 1 more minute. Add wine and bring to boil. Boil until wine is reduced by half, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in reserved cooking water. Return to a boil then remove from heat.

Transfer contents of skillet to a bowl and allow to cool. Stir in cream, milk, ricotta, buffalo mozzarella, fontina, ricotta salata and green peas. Stir in pasta. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Butter a 9 x 13-inch (23 x 33 cm) baking dish. Pour pasta mixture into dish and dot with butter. Cover with foil. Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer or until mixture is bubbling and cheese is golden on top. Serves 6-8.

From Lucy Waverman

This pasta dish from Jamie Oliver’s Meals in Minutes is a favourite of his wife, Jools. It’s very good and doesn’t take long to make. Mix together scallions, carrot, celery, sausages and spices in the food processor, then cook in a frying pan. Add garlic, balsamic vinegar and canned tomatoes and toss with cooked penne. You can top it with parmesan cheese if you like.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Sausages, spices, balsamic vinegar and canned tomatoes may contain artificial ingredients. Look for all-natural sausages and spices with no colour or anti-caking agents. I use a balsamic vinegar with only naturally occurring sulfites and Unico brand tomatoes.

Cook the sausage meat and vegetable mixture

Add garlic, balsamic vinegar and tomatoes

Jools' Pasta

Ingredients:

4 scallions

1 carrot

1 stick of celery

1–2 fresh red chilies

3 or 4 good-quality sausages

1 heaped teaspoon (5 ml) fennel seeds

1 tsp (5 ml) dried oregano

500 g dried penne

4 cloves of garlic

4 tbsp (60 ml) balsamic vinegar

1 400 g can of chopped tomatoes

A few sprigs of Greek basil, or regular basil

Preparation:

Turn your oven to 375°F (190°C). Put a large frying pan on a high heat. Put the standard blade attachment into the food processor.

Trim the spring onions, carrot and celery. Roughly chop all the vegetables, then blitz in the food processor with the chilies (stalks removed). Add the sausages, 1 heaped teaspoon (5ml) of fennel seeds and 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of oregano. Keep pulsing until well mixed, then spoon this mixture into the hot frying pan with a lug of olive oil, breaking it up and stirring as you go. Keep checking on it and stirring while you get on with other jobs.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season well then add the penne and cook according to packet instructions.

Crush 4 unpeeled cloves of garlic into the sausage mixture and stir in 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of balsamic vinegar and the tinned tomatoes. Add a little of the starchy cooking water from the pasta to loosen if needed.

Drain the pasta, reserving about a wineglass worth of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan of sauce and give it a gentle stir, adding enough of the cooking water to bring it to a silky consistency. Taste, correct the seasoning, then tip into a large serving bowl.

From Jamie Oliver’s Meals in Minutes

Norcia, which is in the mountains of southeastern Umbria, is famous for its delicious sausages. Pasta alla Norcina features savoury pork sausage and mushrooms in a light cream sauce. This version from Cook’s Illustrated calls for homemade sausage, which is surprisingly easy to make. I ground the pork myself, in a food processor, but you can buy pre-ground meat. This dish is absolutely delicious and is wonderful comfort food on a cold winter night.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

Grind your own nutmeg or make sure the pre-ground version does not contain colour or anti-caking agents. I used a white wine with a sulfite level below 10 parts per million (from Frogpond Farm), fresh lemon juice and a Pecorino Romano cheese that contains only pasteurized sheep’s milk, bacterial culture, salt and rennet.

Form sausage meat into a patty

Brown the sausage on each side

Chop sausage and soak in cream

Brown the mushrooms

Add the sausage and cream to the mushrooms

Pasta alla Norcina

Ingredients:

Kosher salt and pepper

¼ teaspoon (1 ml) baking soda

8 ounces (250 g) ground pork

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 ¼ teaspoons (6 ml) minced fresh rosemary

⅛ teaspoon (0.5 ml) ground nutmeg

8 ounces (250 g) cremini mushrooms, trimmed

7 teaspoons (35 ml) vegetable oil

¾ cup (175 ml) heavy cream

1 pound (500 g) orecchiette

½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine

1 ½ ounces (43 g) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated (¾ cup/175 ml)

3 tablespoons (45 ml) minced fresh parsley

1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice

Preparation:

Grease large dinner plate with vegetable oil spray. Dissolve 1⅛ teaspoons (5.5 ml) salt and baking soda in 4 teaspoons (20 ml) water in medium bowl. Add pork and fold gently to combine; let stand for 10 minutes.

Add 1 teaspoon (5 ml) garlic, ¾ teaspoon (3 ml) rosemary, nutmeg, and ¾ teaspoon (3 ml) pepper to pork and smear with rubber spatula until well combined and tacky, 10 to 15 seconds. Transfer pork mixture to greased plate and form into rough 6-inch (15.2 cm) patty. Pulse mushrooms in food processor until finely chopped, 10 to 12 pulses.

Heat 2 teaspoons (10 ml) oil in 12-inch (30.5 cm) skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add patty and cook without moving it until bottom is browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip patty and continue to cook until second side is well browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer (very center of patty will be raw). Remove pan from heat, transfer sausage to cutting board, and chop into ⅛- to ¼ -inch (0.32 cm to 0.64 cm) pieces. Transfer sausage to bowl and add cream; set aside.

Bring 4 quarts (3.8 L) water to boil in large Dutch oven. Add pasta and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1 ½ cups (375 ml) cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.

While pasta cooks, return now-empty skillet to medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil, mushrooms, and ⅛ teaspoon (0.5 ml) salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons (10 ml) oil, remaining garlic, remaining ½ teaspoon (2 ml) rosemary, and ½ teaspoon (2 ml) pepper; cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine, scraping up any browned bits, and cook until completely evaporated, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in sausage-cream mixture and ¾ cup (175 ml) reserved cooking water and simmer until meat is no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in Pecorino until smooth.

Add sauce, parsley, and lemon juice to pasta and toss well to coat. Before serving, adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water as needed and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serves 6.

From Cook’s Illustrated