Pasta with Sausage & Peas...I'm Hosting Presto Pasta Nights

By the time you read this I will be in Chicago, wandering around the windy city, hopefully eating some great food. But I wanted to let you know that I will be hosting Presto Pasta Nights on Friday, Oct. 28th 2011.

So you don't know what Presto Pasta Night is?  Let me explain. PPN, as it's commonly referred to, is the brain child of Ruth Daniels from Once Upon a Feast. It's a blog event that focuses on...you guessed it: Pasta!

How can you take part in this wonderful event?   It's easy.  Cook up some pasta, blog about it and then send me a link to your post by Thursday, Oct. 27th. (theresa@foodhuntersguide.com)  I will add your post to the round up that will go live here on Friday morning. 

Easy Peasy...and speaking of peas.  Here's a nice pasta recipe to get you thinking.

Pasta with Sausage & Peas

1 Tbsp. Olive Oil

2 Italian sausage links

1 garlic clove, sliced thin

1 cup frozen peas

Fresh mint, chopped

½ lb. pasta

1 tbsp.  tomato paste

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

Heat olive oil in skillet over medium high heat.  Remove sausage from casing and crumble.

Meanwhile, cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until al dente.

 Add sausage to oil and cook until brown.  Add garlic, paste and crushed red pepper to pan in 3 separate piles. Cook until brown and fragrant then mix together.Season with salt and pepper.

Add peas and a small amount of pasta water to the sausage mixture and cook for about 3 minutes.  When the pasta is cooked add to pan and mix.  Top with a drizzle of olive oil and some fresh chopped mint.