Pasta with tomato sauce with Italian turkey sausage and smoked mozzarella cheese.
Have you ever tried smoked mozzarella cheese? It’s a kind of mozzarella version of Gouda. I had never experienced it until my dad used it in a recipe he got from a local butcher.
This is the recipe with many changes from the original, which called for three times the cheese. We’ve found with smoked mozzarella that a little bit goes a long way, as opposed to regular mozzarella, which has a fairly bland flavor.
More easy pasta dinners
Fettuccine with creamy Italian tomato sausage
Easy Italian sausage spaghetti
Creamy Ziti Florentine
Prawns with Olives, Tomatoes and Orzo
Shrimp pasta alla vodka
Pasta with turkey sausage and smoked mozzarella
Turkey sausage is rather lean. If using regular pork sausage, cook it first, then discard the skipped fat and use the remaining fat in the pan to cook the onions and garlic.
ingredients
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2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
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1 medium yellow onion, chopped
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1 garlic clove, chopped
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2 14-ounce cans mashed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes
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1 pound Italian turkey sausage, loose or cut into 1/2-inch slices*
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Mash red pepper flakes
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3/4 pound fusilli pasta
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Salt
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3 ounces smoked mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
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1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- *Putting the sausage in the freezer for half an hour first will make it easier to slice.
method
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Sauté onions and garlic:
Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute longer.
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Add tomatoes and sausage:
Add the tomatoes to the pan (if using canned whole tomatoes, break them up with your fingers as you add them to the pan). Add the juices.
Add the sausage and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook over medium heat for 20 minutes until sauce has thickened.
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Cook pasta:
While the sauce is cooking, cook the noodles. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, adding a teaspoon and a half of salt for every liter of water.
Cook the pasta according to the pasta package directions until al dente or cooked through but still slightly firm. Drain the water from the noodles.
Combine the pasta and sauce in a large serving bowl.
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Add smoked mozzarella and parmesan:
Stir in the diced smoked mozzarella cheese. Continue stirring until the cheese is soft and slightly melted. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.
