Smoked Paprika, Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes on Pasta

On the prowl for a recipe to utilize leftover sausage, I came across this one. After having tried spaghetti and shrimp with a paprika-seasoned sauce and falling in love recently, I thought that was going to be it. No reason to further investigate red sauces. Then I saw this recipe and figured it could be okay, a variation of that new favorite. Quantified to yield two servings, doubling it would be a cinch if you are so inclined.

The Cooking Club website doesn't have this one available, so I'm giving credit to the magazine specifically. And it's an older copy so it's called Cooking Pleasures rather than Cooking Club, but whatever. I did it just like the recipe described, except I used diced rather than crushed fire-roasted tomatoes and skipped the Parmesan entirely.

Smoked Paprika, Sausage and Roasted Tomatoes on Pasta
adapted from Cooking Pleasures, Oct/Nov 2007
click to print

4 oz spaghetti
8 oz Italian sausage
1 c red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 14.5-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
2 tsp mild smoked paprika
1/4 tsp sugar

Cook spaghetti according to package directions; drain.


Meanwhile, cook sausage in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat 4 to 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium.


Stir in onion; cook without stirring 5 minutes or until onion is browned on edges.


Stir in garlic; cook 1 minute or until onion is nicely browned and caramelized. (If garlic starts to brown too quickly, reduce heat.)


Stir in tomatoes; simmer 5 minutes or until thick and chunky, stirring occasionally.


Stir in paprika and sugar; simmer 2 minutes.


Toss spaghetti with sauce. Serve with Parmesan cheese if you have it.



This sauce turned out to be a nice little red number! Consider this one even though the ingredients list is short and easily erroneously interpreted as boring. But caramelized onions, sausage, fire-roasted tomatoes and paprika? Hello! Super convenient is that the majority of the stuff you might have anyway. You might even be able to whip it out for dinner right now.

How does it compare with the other paprika-seasoned pasta sauce? Well, sausage vs shrimp, fire-roasted can of tomato vs fresh tomatoes...it's tough. I think the other one would win in a contest. Try them and tell me what you think.

Cost:

• spaghetti: $0.23
• Italian sausage: $2
• red onion: $0.63
• garlic cloves: $0.08
• 14.5-oz can fire-roasted diced tomatoes: $1.39

Total: $4.33 or about $2.17 for each of two generous servings.

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