brothas baked penne

The good news is... I am no longer unemployed!


The bad news is... I haven't posted lately!


Well, that's something I can fix pretty easily. I'm here to share an extremely easy, economical and enticing dinner idea... all qualities that fit perfectly in my new [much busier] schedule! 4 ingredients and 40 minutes - tops - and enough to serve a hearty dinner for three with plenty leftover for lunch the next day.

awwww yeah

I called this 'brothas baked penne' for two reasons. Firstly, it's a great meal to feed my brothas - which was, in fact, the case this time, as a good friend joined us for dinner. Secondly, the not-so-secret ingredient here is Graziano Bros. Italian sausage. Another little Des Moines gem, Graziano has the perfect spicy sausage, exactly what you'd expect from a local family business founded by a couple of Italian brothers. Oh, and speaking of Des Moines... moines is the French word for monks. Monks... priests... brothers... eh? Ehhh? (Okay, maybe that's a bit of a stretch.)


Anyhow... here's the recipe! 


Brothas Baked Penne
1-2 lbs. Italian sausage (Graziano Bros. highly recommended!!)
1 box penne pasta
1-2 jars marinara sauce (I used one, but in hindsight, it could 
     have been saucier...)
1-2 C grated parmesan, asiago or romano cheeses, or a blend of all three
     (buy a big wedge, grate most of it, and slice the rest for 
     snacking on with crackers as an appetizer while your pasta 
     is in the oven!)


 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sausage. Drain the fat. Meanwhile, heat a large pot of water to boiling. Toss in a generous pinch of salt, stir in the pasta, and cook 8-10 minutes or until al dente - done, but firm. 
Drain the pasta and mix with
sausage and sauce in a 9 x 13" casserole dish. Sprinkle with the grated cheese, and bake until heated through and bubbly, about 20 minutes. The cheese should be all melty and slightly browned. Done done done!


Serve with a salad for a more complete meal. I got to use some of my homegrown lettuce here!

fresh from the garden!
... and the grocery store. no peppers in our garden yet. 

Cheers!