Me: I don't know. Something with sausage.
Hubs: Like what?
Me: I'll make it up as I go.
Later that Evening
Hubs: You sure you know what you're doing?
Me: Don't worry about it.
Hubs: It smells good.
Me: Blank stare
Even later that evening
Hubs: This is delicious.
Me: Told you not to worry.
This conversation or various iterations of it happen at my house on a weekly basis. You would think after 6 years of marriage and nary a kitchen failure to be had, my husband would be a little less concerned about what I am doing in the kitchen, lol! I suppose when he sees me whip out an bunch of Swiss chard he wonders how the hell I'm going to sneak that into his dinner without him noticing. It's amazing how much his veggie consumption has expanded without his knowledge. It makes me laugh every time! So, yesterday I was really dragging ass....all day! I don't know why but I was and I was in no mood to prepare a complicated dinner. I had defrosted some Italian sausage and that was really all I had as far as a plan. Being tired, I also was not looking to do a boat load of dishes after dinner either. So, after a quick browse through the fridge and the cupboards I came up with this little beauty of a meal. All prepared in a single large skillet. It really was pretty darn good and used up all sorts of odds and ends that were begging to be finally used up. Oh look, pictures too!
Sausage, Vegetable, and Pasta Skillet
1-2 pounds sweet Italian sausage, bulk or with casing removed
3 large cloves garlic, sliced
1 bunch Swiss chard, washed, trimmed and chopped
1 can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 zucchini, peeled and sliced into half rounds
3 oz asiago cheese, chopped rough
1/2 cup grated parmesan
1/4 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
2 oz mozzarella, diced
1-2 cups water
1/2 box rotini pasta
Brown sausage with garlic until cooked. If your sausage was fatty uou may opt to drain some of the fat. I did not. It is not mandatory.
Add chard to pan and continue cooking until soft.
Add bell pepper and tomatoes (with liquid). Continue to saute
Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
Reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to simmer, stirring frequently, until pasta is cooked. Add more water if needed.
Let sit a few minutes before eating. Good Stuff!
