Penne with Roasted Red Pepper, Ricotta, and Sausage

One of my brother's former college roommates is a chef, and he's writing a cookbook. He asked for volunteers to help him test some of the recipes, and I volunteered, knowing it would be a challenge. It's not that the recipes are hard, it's that part of the deal is that you have to follow the recipes exactly to truly test them. I think we all know how hard this is for me. I mean, one of my favorite Christmas presents this year was the Food Substitutions Bible. Which I've already read. Cover to cover. Not much of a plot.

The first recipe that Matt gave me to test is the one posted here (don't worry, I made sure it was ok with him that I post it). This was a great first one for me because 1) I almost never cook with sausages, 2) I almost never cook with bell peppers, and 3) I almost never cook with ricotta. Although it was really hard to make sure to follow all the directions exactly, it was kind of fun that my input might make it into the finished product. By the way, for those of you in the D.C. area, Matt also teaches cooking lessons. He's got a fun blog, too.


This dish really highlights the flavors of Roasted Red Peppers in a pairing that just can’t be beat. The sausages can be hot or sweet depending on your preference, or if you want a slightly healthier version, you can always use slices of grilled chicken breast.

Yield: Serves 4-6

Ingredients:
6 oz         fresh ricotta
1 lb        penne pasta
2 Tbsp        vegetable oil
¾ lb        Italian sausage (sweet or hot) – removed from casings and crumbled
1 ea        onion – thinly sliced
2 ea        Roasted Red Peppers (page XX)
2 cloves    garlic
1 Tbsp        fresh flat-leaf parsley – chopped
2 Tbsp        fresh basil – chopped
¼ tsp        crushed red pepper
2 Tbsp        extra virgin olive oil
TT        salt and pepper
½ cup        Parmeggiano Reggiano – freshly grated
10 leaves    fresh sage – sliced thin
2 Tbsp        capers – drained and rinsed

Method:

1. Spread ricotta on a double layer of paper towels.  Lay another 2 paper towels on top, and press down to remove excess moisture from the cheese. Change top towels a few times as needed to pull out excess water. Set aside.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the penne and cook until al dente.
2. While pasta is cooking, heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the vegetable oil, and then the crumbled sausage. Cook the sausage until done and remove to a paper towel-lined plate.
3. Add the onions to the pan which the sausage cooked in, and cook quickly in the oil in the pan until softened. Set aside with the sausages.
4. Place the roasted peppers, garlic, parsley, basil and crushed red pepper in a food processor. Pulse a few times, and then with the blades running, slowly add the extra virgin olive oil. Remove from food processor to a small bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. When the pasta is done, drain and return to the pot in which it cooked.  Stir in the ricotta, red pepper puree, sausages and onions and parmesan.
6. Place in serving bowl or on individual plates and garnish with the sage and capers. Serve immediately.

 RESULTS: Very filling and very satisfying. It sort of socks you in the mouth with flavor. Just a note here: I initially didn't like the sage or the capers. And then they grew on me so much that for the leftovers (and there were lots, I think this made more like 8 servings rather than 4-6) I ended up adding MORE capers and MORE sage. So don't be afraid of the capers, but I think Matt said he might make them optional. Also, you might want to reserve some of the pasta water in case you pull out too much of the moisture from the ricotta (like I did).