Chef Lisa

Tonight’s another No Recipe Day. Smoked Bratwurst with Peppers and Pasta is really just a fancy way to say sausage and noodles.

1 package smoked bratwurst
1 package frozen three bell pepper and onion mixture
red wine
1 – 28 oz can Italian tomato sauce (Meijer had it on sale)
8 oz. pasta (I’ve got penne and rotini in the cupboard, I’ll just grab whichever one I find first)

First thing, I get a large pot of water boiling to cook the pasta. I don’t add the salt until the water is boiling, then I cook the pasta until al dente. Typically, if a time range is listed for the pasta on the box – say, 8-10 minutes – I pick a time in the middle and it usually comes out perfect for my family’s tastes.

As soon as I turn on the water to cook the pasta, I start assembling the sauce.

The smoked brats are already cooked, so all you really need to do is heat them through. I slice them up, either into rounds or on the bias (depending on how fancy I’m feeling at the time), and fry them up (with a little bit of olive oil) in a pot large enough to hold everything when I’m finished cooking. When the sausage is nicely browned on either side, I take it out of the pot and set it aside. I throw the frozen peppers and onions into the pot, sprinkle them with a little bit of salt, then put the lid on the pot. Turn the heat down to medium, and let cook for about 10 minutes. Take the lid off the pot and, stirring occasionally, cook for another 5 to 10 minutes, until the onions get a bit of color.

At that point I throw the sausage back into the pot, stir it all up again, and let it cook for another minute or two. I now put in a couple of glugs (yes, a very scientific measurement – usually comes out to about 1/4 cup) of red wine in, and let it cook for a minute or so. Then I pour in the tomato sauce, give it all a really good stir, then set the stove to medium low and let it simmer until the pasta is done.

When the pasta is done, I drain it, put it into the pot with the sauce, mix it all up and then serve.

Pretty simple, really, and one of my kids’ favorite meals.