A saucy supper ...

This is my favorite "go to" supper when I want an easy dinner really fast. I start with a jar of pasta sauce. I like to use Archer Farms Arrabbiata Sauce, a nice spicy red pepper sauce. I add Italian diced tomatoes, juice and all, and sliced mushrooms. Next, I toss in red pepper flakes, black pepper, and basil or oregano. If I have Trader Joe's garlic chicken sausage on hand, I'll slice and saute them and into the sauce they go. While all this is going on, I cook my spaghetti. I use wheat pasta as often as I can.
Saucy Sauce
1 jar pasta sauce
1 can Italian diced tomatoes
1 can salt-free sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. oregano or basil
1 pkg. Trader Joe's garlic chicken sausage, sliced and sauteed
1 box whole wheat spaghetti
Parmesan cheese
Simmer sauce. Serve over pasta and top with additional red pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese.

Basketti!!!!

Simple Tip For Spaghetti
Just got this great tip from a food blog I follow called Kate In The Kitchen.
(http://cooknkate.wordpress.com)
When I use spaghetti for a pasta dish, I like to break the long noodles in half before I put them in boiling water. I think it's a hold over from the days when the kids were small. A true pasta purest will undoubtedly be horrified (Mama Mia! She breaka the noodle!). Then again, I've never claimed to be PC (pasta correct). The trouble is, when I've done this in the past, broken shards of noodles fly all over the kitchen. Until today! I tried this simple tip from Kate in The Kitchen and it worked!
Try this:
Leave the pasta in the box and bend the box over the edge of your counter. Two hands works best but I could only use one hand since I had to hold the camera in my other hand! Then just, well ... bend the box against the counter. It works perfectly and all the broken pieces stay in the box, eliminating the annoyance of finding them scattered around my kitchen. Brilliant!!!

Time to share one of my favorite tips for a fast and delicious dinner (or how to make a great pasta sauce when you're in a hurry). I start with a jar of my favorite sauce from the grocery store. Mezzetta Napa Valley Bistro is always good. Add a can of Italian diced tomatoes, juice and all, 2 cans no-salt sliced mushrooms, drained, 1/2 tsp. basil (or fresh if you have it), 1/2 tsp. pepper and 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes. Let it all simmer together for about 10 minutes and VOILA! You end up with a glorious rich, thick sauce that tastes home-made!