Pasta with Sausage and Vegetables

True flavor of Italian food is brought out in the freshness of ingredients, especially the vegetables and the judicious use of herbs. I never had any appetite for the Italian food they serve at local joints since most were made junk with the over usage of cheap cheese and tomato paste. Until I tasted my first true Italian dish at Ciao. I couldn't help but appreciate the subtle flavors of fresh vegetables and herbs brought out by the olive oil used in the cooking. And there started my Italian Love Affair. I never felt like having Pizza Hut again.


This is my attempt at making signature Italian dishes at home. 

Pasta - 4 cups, I have used tri-colored pasta
Beef sausages - 8No.s, sliced round
Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
Onion - 1 Big, cut into chunks
Garlic - 2pods, mashed
Mushrooms - cut into big chunks, 2 cups
Red Bell Pepper - cut into big pieces - 1 cup
Brocolli florets - 1 cup
Small polento tomatoes - 5-6 pieces
Chicken stock - 1/2 cup
Brown Sugar - 2 tsp
Crushed Pepper - 2 Tbsp
Oregano - 2 Tbsp
Basil & Parsely leaves, chopped - 1/4 cup
Salt - to taste
Method: 
Prepare pasta according to package instructions. Drain and keep ready.
Heat 1Tbsp oil in a wok, add the sausages. Cook with a closed lid until they are nicely browned on both sides, stirring in between. Remove from pan and keep aside.
Heat the remaining oil int he same pan, add onion and mashed garlic and saute' for 1 minute, so that the garlic starts to give out a nice aroma. Add the vegetables except the tomato and saute on high heat, stirring continuously until the vegetables are all nicely browned. Add in the sausages and brown sugar and saute for another minute. Add in the tomatoes to the end and saute. Pour in the chicken stock, deglazing the pan with the stock. Add the prepared pasta to this, stirring so as to bring everything together. 
Add the salt, pepper oregano, basil and parsley leaves and mix everything in nicely, keeping the flame medium.


Serve hot. 

Three Pepper Spagetti with Roasted Chicken

Ingredients:

Spagetti - 1 (16oz) package of spagetti

Oil - 2Tbsp

Chicken, boneless pieces - 250g

Carrot, chopped thin - 1No

Ginger Garlic paste - 2Tbsp

Green chilly, slit - 4 No.s

Onion, chopped - 1 large

Tomato, chopped - 1No

Cilantro, chopped fine - 2Tbsp

Coriander powder - 1tsp

Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Curry powder - 1tsp

Tomato paste - 2Tbsp

Red, Green and Yellow Bell peppers, sliced thin - 1 cup

Brocolli florets - 2Tbsp

salt - to taste

Method:

1. Boil water in a large pot and prepare spagetti as per the directions given in the package, till tender. Drain in a colander.

2. In a large skillet, heat oil. Saute' ginger garlic paste until fragrant, add the green chillies, chopped onions and cilantro and saute' till onions are browned.

3. Add turmeric, corainder and curry powder and mix well. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute' till tomatoes are done. Add tomato paste, saute on medium heat for a minute and add in the chicken and carrots. Cover the skillet and let the chicken roast on a slow fire.

4. Once the chicken is cooked through, mix in the preapred pasta.

5. Cover and keep on a low flame for 5 minutes.

6. In a frying pan, heat 2Tbsp oil and stir fry bell peppers and brocolli, adding a bit of salt so that the vegetables retain their color.

7. Arrange the pasta on a serving dish, garnish with stir fried bell pepper and brocolli florets and serve hot.