VALENTINE’S DAY IN: DINNER DATE

Posted on 29/01/2020 18:30 NEWS
It’s nearly Valentine’s Day. You and your loved one have been bouncing around date night ideas, contemplating long wait times and how expensive it could get – not to mention ALL of the people that will be there doing the same thing as you. Feeling a little overwhelmed? Switch things up by doing Valentine’s Date Night at home with some Uncle Charley’s Sausage! Trust us, with these recipes you’ll be turning up the heat – and not just on the stove.

Smokin’ Hot Spicy Sausage Rigatoni

We weren’t joking about turning up the heat with this recipe! Combine our hot (or extra hot) Italian Sausage with some sauce featuring wine and you’ll have a pleasing home-cooked meal.

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. oil or butter
  • ½ yellow onion, minced
  • 4 carrots, minced
  • 12 oz. Uncle Charley’s Hot or Extra Hot Italian Sausage (casings removed –
  • just the ground meat)
  • 1 tsp. dried oregano
  • ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 1 ½ tsp. salt
  • ½ tsp. black pepper
  • ½ c. red wine blend
  • 1-28 oz. can tomatoes, including their juice
  • ¼ c. balsamic or Italian dressing (optional)
  • 1 lb. whole wheat rigatoni
  • ½ c. reserved pasta water
  • Parmesan and parsley or basil for topping

Instructions

  • Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the onion and carrots. Saute until the vegetables are softened.
  • Add the crumbled sausage, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the sausage is fully cooked, add the wine to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan.
  • Add the tomatoes and dressing, simmer for 10-20 minutes while the pasta is cooking.
  • Cook the pasta according to package directions. When draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Combine the pasta, the sauce, and the reserved water and toss gently to combine.
  • Transfer to a large serving dish and top with Parmesan cheese and parsley or basil. Serve with the rest of the wine!

So Sweet Sweet Italian Sausage With Penne Pasta

Maybe instead of hot and spicy, you’re looking for a simple pasta dinner using sweet sausage for your sweetie? We have that covered, too.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb. penne pasta
  • 1 lb. frozen broccoli florets
  • 8 oz. Uncle Charley’s Sweet Italian Sausage, cut in bite-size chunks
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 tbsp. butter
  • ½ c. grated pecorino romano cheese

Instructions

  • Boil the water and cook the penne according to package directions.
  • As the penne is cooking, heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet and saute the broccoli, sausage, and garlic until tender and starting to brown. This should take 15-20 minutes.
  • Once everything is cooked, toss the butter, hot pasta, sausage mixture, and romano cheese together and serve with extra grated cheese on top.
You can keep these recipes in your back pocket for your next date night at home, or when you need to cook to impress – they aren’t just for Valentine’s Day!

 

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