Andouille Pappardelle Casserole

 

Andouille Pappardelle Casserole

I was unsupervised again and found myself 45 minutes from dinner time without a plan or anything defrosted. So I dreamed up this tasty concoction that seemed to keep the villagers at bay. Try it. You too can be a villager at bay!

 

 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 13 oz package of andouille sausage, sliced into diagonal slices 1/4 in thick
1 8 oz package of Trader Joe’s Pappardelle pasta
2 good sized heirloom tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 sweet onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Green, yellow or red pepper, coarsely chopped
8 oz sliced mushrooms
3 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs fresh or dried chopped Basil leaves
1 Tbs fresh or dried chopped Oregano leaves
1 cup Parmesan or Pecorino, divided (or dairy free equivalent)
1 cup Mozzarella pearls (or dairy free equivalent)
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 tsp Italian dried red peppers
Kosher salt and coarse ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
  2. Cook pasta just al dente, turn off pot and do not drain.
  3. In a large sauce pan on medium heat, combine the sausage slices, 1 Tbs of oil and cook the sausage and turning until the edges start to crisp (~2-3 minutes). Add peppers, tomatoes, onion, mushrooms, 1 Tbs olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. When veggies are just clear, colorful and going to limp turn off heat and prepare casserole.
  4. In a large dutch oven or a favorite casserole dish, add 1/2 the pasta from the pot and sprinkle with 1 Tbs olive oil. Drain the pasta over its pot but don’t be too fussy about it, the dripping pasta water is part of the sauce. Spread mozzarella pearls around the pasta layer and cover layer with 1/2 the parmesan cheese.
  5. Pour sausage veggie mix from sauce pan over cheese layer and cover with remaining pasta. Sprinkle olive oil, pepper and 1/2 the remaining parmesan over the top layer of pasta
  6. Transfer to the oven uncovered and roast for 20-30 minutes or until the mixture has swapped love and juices and the cheeses melt. Let cool slightly.

Serve in bowls with with a good crusty bread, a hearty red wine and just a dusting of good grated parmesan.