A Flavor for Life

I used to never cook pasta.

And then I met a boy who liked pasta so much that his mother used to tell him that he would end up marrying an old Italian woman one day.

I am not Italian. And I don’t believe I am old. But I like to make the boy smile.

So I’ll make pasta from time to time now. This sauce is his favorite. The flavors are playful on your tongue as the smokiness of the cayenne pepper and cumin plays tug of war with the sweetness of the creamy onions. The tartness of the artichoke hearts lends a spunk to the dish. And it keeps you coming back for more.

It is in-your-face flirtation on a plate. And it’s proven (n=1) to win boys’ hearts over. So what are you waiting for?

Grab these simple pantry items and a pot and go get your flirt on.

Smoky cajun pasta
Serves 3-5
Prep time: 5 minutes
Active cook time: 15 minutes
Inactive cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients
Olive oil
6 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
1 lb cajun chicken sausage, cut into bite-size pieces
14 oz can of artichoke hearts, drained, rinsed, and squeezed so that no water remains between the leaves
3 oz tomato paste
28 oz whole peeled tomatoes, canned
2 tbsp dried basil
1 tbsp cayenne
1 tbsp cumin
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Optional: Parmigiano reggiano

Directions
1) Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. When hot, add the minced garlic and diced onions and saute until the onions are creamy (~5 min)
2) Add the chicken sausage and let brown on one side (~2 minutes) until giving a stir and letting brown on the other side. Cook until the sausages are cooked throughout (~3-5 min total)
3) Add the artichoke hearts and the tomato paste to the pan and saute (~2 min)
4) Add the can of whole peeled tomatoes and the seasoning (basil, cayenne, cumin) and let cook over medium-high until the sauce has come together (~10 minutes). Stir occasionally.
5) Salt and pepper to taste

Serve warm over pasta with a sprinkle of parmigiano reggiano (optional)