Radiatore with Sausage & Tomatoes and Bibb Lettuce Salad with Apples & Raisins

Got a call at work. Baby throwing up...but no fever.  Left work early to get her.  Hit debris in the road... but a Tires plus was at next exit.  Blew side wall.  Didn't have my tire in stock... but put on my spare at no charge.  Called our mechanic in town.  Didn't have tire.... but could get it delivered in 2 hours.  Took the girls to gymnastics. Went to mechanic. Price of tire went up considerably (since we put them on in Sept 11)... but gave to us at cost.  Any one who says the "but" in a sentence is bad, needs to have a day like I did today.  


So, when it came time for dinner, I was in not mood to test out the rest of my luck.  I needed something good, fast, and family friendly.  Pasta is the perfect family food.  It cooks quickly and you can add anything to it and make it a meal.  And, pasta comes in many shapes and colors so you can make any dish a fun and exciting adventure!  Radiatore reminds me of ribbon – curly and wavy.  The groves in the pasta hold the sauce and keep a slight bite. 

Radiatore with Sausage and Tomatoes

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

8 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings

1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice

Salt

12 ounces radiatore pasta, uncooked

2 large handfuls baby spinach 
Shredded Parmesan, optional

 

Warm oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a spoon, until it loses its pink color, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of juice has evaporated and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.  Stir in spinach, let wilt. Remove from heat.  

While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Stir in pasta and cook according to package label directions.  Drain, return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve immediately, with shredded Parmesan on the side, if desired.

Butter Lettuce Salad with Apples and Raisins

Serves 4

2 cups butter lettuce mix

2 medium Red and/or Golden Delicious apples, chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar or elderberry vinegar

1/2 tablespoon honey

1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper

1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/2 cup raisins

In a salad bowl, combine the lettuce and apples. In a small bowl, whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Drizzle over salad and toss to coat. Sprinkle with cheese and raisins. Serve immediately.