Tasty Tuesday

Inspired by Italian cooking I came home ready to cook. Caprese salad was a food staple for us on our trip for lunch and dinner. Caprese salad is a very easy dish to prepare, but up until my trip it was not a favorite of mine. I'm not a big fan of raw tomatoes. I love them hot and made into sauces, but raw is another story. Early on in the trip we had it with some salt and pepper and that made a world of difference. It really enhances the flavor of both the tomato and the mozzarella. I made this salad a day or so after returning home. Slainte!

Caprese Salad (serves 2)
Ingredients
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella cheese (water packed), sliced 1/4 inch
1 ripe tomato (but not too soft), unrefrigerated, sliced 1/4 inch
3-4 fresh basil leaves, washed and patted dry
2-3 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil (it's important to use good quality evoo, the kind used for eating not cooking)
coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Instructions
1. Lay tomatoes out on plate, top each slice of tomato with a slice of mozzarella cheese. (The cheese and tomato can also be layered alternately around the plate)
2. Place basil leaves in the middle of the plate or, if you prefer, top each slice of cheese with a leaf.
3. Just before serving, drizzle olive oil generously over tomatoes, cheese, and basil. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Since I don't love tomatoes all by themselves, I take a piece of tomato, a piece of cheese, and a piece of basil in one bite and it is delicious! Add a glass of wine and it's a very light lunch or dinner for the summer.

Tasty Tuesday

Yes, yes, pasta again! This is an easy one and quite fresh and light too. You can follow the recipe exact, or change up the vegetables for a little variation. Slàinte!

Tomato and Sausage Pasta

Ingredients
1 pound pasta
1 tbsp olive oil
1 pound spicy Italian sausage
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped (or 1 tbsp dried basil)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes (do not drain)
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (I used Parmigiano-Reggiano)
salt and pepper to taste

Directions
1. Begin boiling water for pasta.
2. In a large skillet, heat oil and sausage; cook through until no longer pink. During the last 5 minutes of cooking, add onion and garlic to skillet. Add broth, basil and tomatoes with liquid.
3. Add pasta to boiling water, and cook according to package directions.
4. Cook sausage mixture over medium heat for 5 minutes to slightly reduce. Add chopped asparagus (or any vegetables); cover skillet and simmer on reduced heat until asparagus is tender. About 10 minutes.
5. Drain pasta and pour back into hot cooking pot.
6. Add sausage mixture and Parmesan cheese to pasta. Stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste if needed. Cover pot and let stand for 5-10 minutes before serving.
7. Sprinkle top of each serving with Parmesan cheese.
Some other vegetable options are spinach or chopped broccoli (about 10 oz, fresh or frozen work well).