Philly: Irene and College Approved Tomato Sauce with Turkey Sausage

I suppose that I took the intensity of Irene for granted since here in West Philadelphia, it wasn’t that bad. Yes, branches fell and the wind blew but I was blissfully ignorant of its effects.

So, Aaron and I ventured out during the calm afternoon to discover that Kelly Drive was completely flooded.

Why we thought we could go into Manayunk and get a late breakfast, I don’t know. About a half-an-hour later attempting to go every way out of East Falls, we went back to our apartment to watch Boardwalk Empire and make dinner. Because let's face it, not even a hurricane can keep me from food.

Now that we are back to college, I find myself slowly reverting back into “semi-homemade” recipes for the sake of time and money. For college readers, this is for you. Please don’t judge my use of jarred tomato sauce. I have become quite accustomed to Bertolli’s Five Cheese Tomato Sauce, of course with my additions.

One of my favorite easy pasta meals is Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Spinach Tomato Sauce.  This is an incredibly easy way to dress up any jarred tomato sauce, and keep it healthy.

Since I do not eat red meat, turkey sausage (Sweet Italian in this case,) is my way of keeping those delicious flavors in my recipes. To me, turkey sausage is a God-sent. It has 97% less fat than regular pork sausage, and in my opinion, allows you to have the delicious meat flavor without the fat, calories, and greasy feeling. Win-win.

My boyfriend loves this recipe, and surprisingly for how easy it is, remains one of his favorite meals.

So for the college student on a budget: whip up a vat of this sauce to impress your roommates without much effort.

Semi-Homemade Tomato Sauce with Turkey Sausage and Spinach: for 2 servings

(For a double recipe uses a whole jar of sauce, 1 box of spaghetti, and one package of turkey sausage)

Ingredients:

½ package of Sweet Italian Sausage (3-4 links,) chopped into medium-thin slices

½ -3/4 jar of Five Cheese Tomato Sauce (or your favorite variety)

1 small-medium White Onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1 cup of fresh spinach (about half a bag)

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

Fresh Pepper

Directions:

Heat a large pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp. olive oil and minced garlic.

Meanwhile fill a large pot with 3 quarts water and tbsp. salt. Boil water. Once boiling, add dry pasta and cook for 8-10 minutes for ala dente.

Once garlic and olive oil are heated, add chopped onions and fresh pepper and lightly sautéed.

Once onions begin to brown, add sausage slices and brown. Make sure sausage browns and cooks evenly.

Once sausage is almost cooked through, add fresh spinach and mix with sausage.

When the sausage is cooked through and spinach is wilted, add tomato sauce and stir.

Lightly toss with cooked pasta and top with grated parmesan cheese and fresh pepper.

Wishing you a hurricane/flood free day with a delicious meal and loved ones at your side.

Enjoy!

Love,

The College Cuisiner