Bowtie Pasta

 This is a Farmers Wife Original.

A few weeks back I was having one of those "My brain can't function" moments, while putting together my grocery list. I looked at recipes and couldn't seem to actually process what ingredients I would need, eventually I just gave up and threw in the towel and decided to head to the store anyway because when you're out of pull ups and and milk... Let's just say this is one unhappy household! haha! While wandering around the store my juices finally got flowing and I came up with a menu plan, then much to my dismay the store was out of what I came up with so I had to improvise... Life is funny like that sometimes isn't it? You're probably wondering what the outcome was aren't you? Well it was a fairly cheap grocery trip (other than the pull ups... haha), food that lasted over a week, and several new recipes... Overall, I would say a success! But enough about the grocery trip... Now let's talk about this recipe...

I knew I wanted pasta, that's pretty much the only specific I had about dinner that night. So I got up off my rear, went into the kitchen and brewed a pot of coffee. I know not exactly pasta, but it made me happy and put me in the mood to cook. After I downed a giant cupful of coffee (note: anyone remember those GIANT mugs they used at Central Perk on the set of Friends? You know... the ones that are so giant they resemble a part of the woman's anatomy... haha!! It was one of those!!) I started pulling stuff out of the pantry and fridge that looked Italian and starting cooking. The results? Well I've never seen my Sous Chef eat an entire bowl of pasta in 30 minutes before... And then ask for more... Then steal pasta off our plates.... And thus ensuing a fork fight between my Hubby and my Son over who would eat Daddy's Pasta... Haha! I love my boys! The pasta was a HUGE success, and I must say it made incredible leftovers too! Plus... and here's my favorite part, the entire meal was about $10 and it made enough to feed 6 people! Which makes this meal about $1.66 per serving... Now I don't know about you but I find that number freaking AWESOME! Here's my tip, buy store brand pasta, tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, as well as the cheeses. Most of them really are just as good as the expensive brands, and they are SO much cheaper! Oh and the other thing, 1 serving... under 400 Calories!! You read that right!!

Ingredients:
1 package Bowtie Pasta (whole wheat if you prefer, I personally don't care for it)
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
3 Cloves of Garlic, minced or finely chopped
1/2 White Onion, diced
2 1/2 Links of Sweet Italian Turkey Sausage (half a package, you can save the other half for another recipe)
1 15oz. can of Tomato Sauce
1 15oz. can of Diced Italian Tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon Oregano
1/2 teaspoon Basil
Dash Freshly Ground Black Pepper
2/3 cup Ricotta Cheese (all skim is fine for this recipe)
1/2 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
1/4 cup Shredded Parmesan (plus more for garnish)

Directions:
Cook pasta according to directions and desired doneness. Drain and set aside. While the pasta is cooking, start on the sauce. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and saute the garlic and onions until translucent. Once cooked add the turkey sausage, squeeze it out of the thin casing, then break up into smaller pieces and brown. Once browned add in the tomato sauce and diced tomatoes, along with the spices. Let that simmer for about 15 minutes til it reduces a little and become like a thick Italian gravy (Italians call their tomato sauce "gravy" and it's typically thick and rich). Once thickened, add in your cheeses. Mix until melted through, add in the pasta, toss and serve warm. Garnish with a little shredded Parmesan, and parsley.

Review:
I always feel like I'm being arrogant by giving one of my original recipes a 5 star rating... But with how much my boys LOVED this, I have to say that it was superb and I will be making it again and again! So this does deserve it's 5 star rating!  It was incredible easy, and totally satisfied my pasta craving... for the next week! haha!