A gracious and good natured cab driver picked me up at 4:30 am from outside our condo in Sarasota – as prearranged – and dropped me off at the airport in plenty of time to catch my flight home.
I arrived back early in the morning – suffering from a little travelers disconcertment – the kids were all at school and my husband had left town for a conference – so I grounded myself with ordinary, mundane tasks that didn’t require much thought – unloading the dishwasher, laundry, and making dinner. I chose a simple and quick recipe for the kids and I to enjoy on my first night home.
SPAGHETTI BOLOGNESE
1 tablespoon olive oil
19 ounces sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (24-ounce) jar tomato and basil pasta sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
cooked pasta and grated parmesan cheese to serve
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add sausage, onion, bell pepper and garlic, and cook, stirring and breaking up the sausage, until sausage is browned and vegetables are tender, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in pasta sauce and season with salt and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high. Reduce heat to low, simmer for 15 minutes. Stir chopped basil into meat sauce.
Serve sauce over cooked pasta, garnish with parmesan cheese.
Enjoy!
Recipe adapted from Southern Living, February 2017
