Reflections

I love this time of year. I'm ready to get the Christmas tree put up and start our Christmas traditions. I also like this time of year because it's good for reflecting and re-evaluating. It's the end of the year and time to look back and think about what's working for you and what's not. I've been doing a lot of that lately, trying to figure out what's working for me and what just frustrates me.

I made a new recipe last night that we liked. I got it from: www.lifesambrosia.com.

Fettuccine with Sausage, Peppers and Onions

1 pound dried fettuccine pasta
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons olive oil divided
5 turkey Italian sausage links (hot or mild)
1/2 medium onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 green bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
1 red bell pepper, ribs and seeds removed, diced
1/2 cup dry white wine (such as Pinot Grigio)
1/4 cup reserved pasta water
kosher salt
shredded Parmesan

Cook pasta according to package directions. Strain, but reserve 1/4 cup of pasta water.
While your pasta is cooking, in a skillet large enough to fit the cooked pasta, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, place sausage in the pan and cook through. About 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate. Allow to rest 5 minutes.
To the same pan you cooked the sausage in, add remaining two teaspoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, crushed red pepper (if using) and oregano. Cook 1 minute. Add green and red bell peppers. Cook until softened, 3 minutes. Pour white wine and reserved pasta water over the mixture. Cook for 5 minutes.
Slice sausage and return it to the pan. Stir to combine.
Add strained noodles to sausage mixture and toss to coat. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5-7 minutes or until most of the sauce is absorbed. Toss once more. Season to taste with kosher salt.
Serve hot along side some freshly grated Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper.

I really liked this and instead of regular pasta, I used whole wheat pasta.