Fresh Tomato, Sausage, and Pecorino Pasta

This is one of those recipes that seemingly looks good.  And if you use high quality ingredients, maybe it is.  However we used regular quality ingredients and it was bland and watery.

I wanted to like it, but every bite had water from the tomatoes in it, and it leaked into the rest of the dish.  Even the leftovers had water (the pasta didn't absorb it).  I think it would be better with hot sausage, but I don't think it is worth the effort to try again.  

Next time, if I want tomatoes and sausage and pasta, I'll go with Spaghetti with Sausage and Simple Sauce.

Fresh Tomato, Sausage, and Pecorino Pasta

Ripe, summer tomatoes are juicy and delicious in this pasta dish, with no seeding or peeling necessary.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 2 cups pasta mixture, 1 tablespoon cheese, and 1 tablespoon basil)
Total:40 Minutes

Ingredients
8 ounces uncooked penne
8 ounces sweet Italian sausage
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 cup vertically sliced onion
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 1/4 pounds tomatoes, chopped
6 tablespoons grated fresh pecorino Romano cheese, divided
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup torn fresh basil leaves

Preparation
1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat; drain.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Remove casings from sausage. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring to crumble sausage. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in pasta, 2 tablespoons cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese and basil.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 389; Fat: 10.7g; Saturated fat: 4g; Monounsaturated fat: 4.5g; Polyunsaturated fat: 0.7g; Protein: 21.6g; Carbohydrate: 53.5g; Fiber: 4.5g; Cholesterol: 27mg; Iron: 3.3mg; Sodium: 595mg; Calcium: 159mg

Cooking Light SEPTEMBER 2009