Caramelized Asian Pork Chops with Sizzled Ginger Rice

Inspiration:
Food & Wine

Pork Chop Ingredients:

• 4 garlic cloves, halved
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 8 very thin pork rib chops (about 4 ounces each)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Pork Chop Instructions:

1. Put the garlic, soy sauce, sugar and oil in a mini food processor and process until the garlic is pureed. Put the pork chops on a rimmed baking sheet and pour the marinade over them; turn to coat the chops. Let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.
2. Light a grill. Season the chops with salt and pepper and grill over high heat until charred and just cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.

Rice Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups sushi rice
• 2 cups water
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup julienned fresh ginger

Rice Instructions:

1. Put the rice in a small saucepan, rinse well and drain. Add the 2 cups of water to the rice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat for about 13 minutes, until the water is absorbed and the rice is tender. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice and cover again.
2. Meanwhile, in a small skillet, heat the vegetable oil. Add the ginger and cook over low heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Stir the ginger into the rice and serve.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10

Pork Chops with Mustard Cream Sauce

Inspiration:
Food & Wine

Ingredients:

• 4 (10-ounce) pork rib chops, 1-inch thick
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar or sherry vinegar
• 1/2 cup veal stock or canned low sodium chicken broth
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400°. Season the pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat half of the oil until shimmering. Add the pork chops and cook over moderate heat until golden, turning once, 8 minutes. Transfer the meat to a baking sheet and roast until cooked through, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, pour off the fat from the skillet. Add the remaining oil and heat until shimmering. Add the shallot and cook over moderately high heat until softened, 3 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook until nearly evaporated, about 1/2 minute. Add the stock and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and cook over moderately high heat until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the mustard and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pork to plates and spoon the sauce on top.

Notes: I served the pork chops over sautéed leeks... delicious.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Bittman's Ma-Po Tofu

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's pit stop in China
and Mark Bittman


Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon peanut or other oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
• 1/4 to 1/2 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup chopped scallions, green part only
• 1/2 cup stock or water
• 1 pound soft or silken tofu, cut in 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• Salt to taste
• Minced cilantro for garnish, optional

Instructions:

1. Put oil in a deep 10-inch skillet or wok, preferably nonstick, and turn heat to medium-high. A minute later, add garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, and cook just until they begin to sizzle, less than a minute. Add pork, and stir to break it up; cook, stirring occasionally, until it loses most of its pink color.
2. Add scallions and stir; add stock. Cook for a minute or so, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon if necessary to loosen any stuck bits of meat, then add tofu. Cook, stirring once or twice, until tofu is heated through, about 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the soy sauce; taste, and add salt and red pepper flakes as necessary. Garnish with cilantro if you like, and serve.

Notes: We are moving in a few weeks, and I am trying to use up items in my freezer and pantry. This recipe fit the bill, as I had ground pork and a lot of rice on hand. Apparently this recipe isn't very authentic (due to the lack of black bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns), but it was quick and tasty. Tim loves the combination of ginger, garlic, and scallions, as do I. Next time I might try a more authentic recipe. Meat lovers may want to use 1 pound of ground pork and 1/2 pound tofu. We used 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes and didn't find it very spicy.


Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10


Next week on The Amazing Race: China (again). Any suggestions?

Pasta with Prosciutto and Peas

Inspiration:
Everyday Food: Great Food Fast
and Celeste


Ingredients:

• Coarse salt and ground pepper
  
• 12 ounces fettuccine
  
• 1 tablespoon butter
  
• 1 shallot, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
  
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
  
• 1 package (10 ounces) frozen peas, thawed
  
• 8 slices prosciutto (about 4 ounces total), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise,
  
• about 1 cup
  
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving (optional)
  
  

Instructions:

1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain pasta and return to pot.
   
   Meanwhile, make sauce: In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-low heat; add shallot and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add cream, peas, and prosciutto; bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Simmer until peas are heated through, 3 to 4 minutes.
   
   
2. Stir in lemon zest and juice. Pour sauce over pasta; add Parmesan, and season generously with salt and pepper. Add enough reserved pasta water to thin sauce as desired. Serve immediately; top with additional Parmesan, if desired.

Notes: I thought this was ok. Prosciutto, peas, cream, and pasta used to be my favorite pasta dish. I don't know why, but this wasn't anything too special. I did really enjoy the lemon zest, and the leftovers were surprisingly tasty the next day. It was a nice, quick weeknight meal. Serve with salad.

Liz's Rating: 8/10
Tim's Rating: n/a

Baked Orecchiette with Pork Sugo

Inspiration:
Food and Wine

Ingredients:

• 3 1/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch pieces
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 celery ribs, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 large sweet onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 4 garlic cloves, very finely chopped
• One 14-ounce can diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 5 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
• 1 1/2 pounds orecchiette
• 2 cups freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (7 ounces)

Instructions:

1. Season the pork with salt and pepper. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the pork in a single layer and cook over moderately high heat until the pieces are golden brown all over, about 12 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic and cook until softened and browned in spots, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and bring to a simmer. Add the red wine and thyme sprigs and cook over high heat until the wine is reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer over low heat until the pork is very tender, about 2 hours.
2. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pork and vegetables to a food processor; discard the thyme sprigs. Pulse just until the pork is shredded. Scrape the shredded pork and vegetables back into the casserole. Stir in the chopped parsley, oregano and crushed red pepper and season with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the orecchiette until it is still firm to the bite, about 5 minutes; drain well. Add the orecchiette to the casserole and toss with the pork sauce. Scrape the pasta into a very large baking dish and sprinkle all over with the Parmigiano-Reggiano. Bake the casserole in the upper third of the oven for about 35 minutes, until golden brown on top and bubbling. Let the baked pasta stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Recipe Notes:
"The pork sugo can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat before tossing with the orecchiette."

My Notes:
The photos do not capture the deliciousness of this dish. I highly recommend it.
I cut this recipe in half, and it still filled a 9x13 pyrex dish. This recipe takes a long time, because the pork braises for two hours. It is not a weeknight meal. However, it's perfect for a Sunday where you'll be watching football or baking Christmas cookies, because after the initial prep, it just simmers and smells yummy while you go about your day.

For those of you who are interested, here is an interesting article about sugo.

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Me: "I would call this comfort food."
Tim: "Yes, I feel very comforted."

Siberian Pelmeni

Inspiration:
The Amazing Race's pit stop in Moscow, Russia
and
Erin's suggestion of Pelmeni, which she had at our local restaurant Moscow on the Hill
The recipe below is very loosely based on this recipe from The Food Network.


Ingredients:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill, divided
  
• 2 ounces breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup heavy cream or half and half
• 1 egg, beaten
• salt and pepper
• gyoza or potsticker wrappers
• 8 cups chicken broth, hot
  
• very thinly sliced button mushrooms, to garnish (about 1/2-3/4 cup per person)

Instructions:

1. Soak breadcrumbs in cream.
2. Combine pork, 1/4 cup dill, egg, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add breadcrumb mixture and mix.
3. Let sit up to 2 hours for flavors to combine (in refrigerator).
4. Place 2 teaspoons of pork mixture in each gyoza wrapper, preparing 4 at a time. Wet the edges and seal in half-moon shapes. Set aside under plastic wrap as you make the other Pelmeni.
5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to boil.
6. Boil Pelmeni for 7-10 minutes.
   
7. Place 8-12 Pelmeni in a large soup bowl. Top with a few ladles of broth, chopped dill, sliced fresh mushrooms, and more pepper.

My Notes:
I don't think the original recipe was very authentic, and my alterations make it surely non-authentic, so we'll call these "Lazy Non-Authentic Siberian Pelmeni." We both enjoyed this dish. You must use fresh dill.


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9/10


Next Week on The Amazing Race Season Finale: Oregon, USA.

Spicy Pork Po'Boys

Inspiration:
Food & Wine

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 pounds ground pork
• 1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/4 teaspoons dried thyme
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2 medium kosher dill pickles, very finely chopped
• 1/2 small shallot, minced
• Four 8-inch soft baguettes, split
• 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce (I despise iceberg lettuce, so I substituted mixed greens.)
  
• 2 tomatoes, thinly sliced
• Hot sauce, for serving

Instructions:

1. Preheat a grill pan. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix the ground pork with the paprika, thyme, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, 1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper. Form the pork into twelve 1/2-inch-thick patties. Grill the pork patties over moderate heat, turning once, until they are cooked through, about 8 minutes total.
2. Meanwhile, mix the mayonnaise with the Dijon mustard, pickles and shallot and season with salt and pepper. Spread the mayonnaise on both sides of the baguettes.
3. Place 3 pork patties on the bottom of each baguette and top with the lettuce, tomato and a few splashes of hot sauce. Close the sandwiches and serve.

Food & Wine's suggested beverage: "Juicy, blackberry-rich Southern Australian Shiraz: 2006 Jim Barry The Lodge Hill."

My Notes: This was really easy! The pork patties did not taste that much different than a spicy pork sausage blend, so you could buy bulk sausage if you want a super-quick dinner. Tim loved the sauce so much, he gave this recipe an 11 out of 10.

Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 11/10

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

Inspiration:
Sweet Tea in Texas
as well as cabbage and onions from our CSA

Ingredients:

• 12 Large Cabbage leaves

• 1 lb Ground Pork
  

• 1 Beaten Egg

• 1/4 C Milk

• 1/4 C finely chopped onion

• 1 Tsp Salt

• 1 Tsp pepper

• 1 Tsp lemon pepper

• 1 C Cooked Brown Rice

• 1 8oz can of Tomato Sauce

• 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar

• 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice

• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire

Instructions:

1. Start by browning your ground turkey. Season your ground turkey as it browns with garlic salt & lemon pepper. When this is done, drain and set aside.

2. Start water boiling in a large pot for your cabbage. The easiest way that I’ve found to get the leaves off is to submerge the whole head of cabbage for a couple of minutes and pull it out, taking as many leaves off as you can easily. Submerge again until you can pull a few more off. You want to keep the leaves as in tact as possible. Do this until you have about 12 whole leaves.

3. In a large bowl, combine the ground turkey, egg, milk, onion, spices, & rice. Mix well. Take about 1/4 C of this mix and put into the center of a leaf. Fold in the sides, then fold up the bottom until it looks like a little burrito. Place them seam side down in the Crockpot until you have gone through your leaves or ran out of stuffing.

4. In another bowl, combine the tomato sauce, brown sugar, lemon juice, & Worcestershire. Pour this over your little cabbage burritos and put the lid on the Crockpot. Cook these in the Crockpot on low for about 6 hours.

Notes:
We both liked this recipe-- I think next time I will replace the lemon pepper with something else-- probably Penzeys Bavarian Seasoning or paprika or something similar. I replaced the ground turkey in the original recipe with ground pork, and I used brown rice.

Tim's Rating: 8/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10

Lemon-Parsley Pork Chops

Inspiration:
Parsley from our CSA and Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 bone-in loin pork chops, (about 8 ounces each)
  
  

Instructions:

1. Mince lemon zest; combine in a small bowl with parsley, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over high heat. Season pork chops on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook in skillet until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
3. Add 1/2 cup water to skillet; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover, and simmer gently until pork is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer pork chops to a platter or serving plates; drizzle with pan juices as desired, and sprinkle with lemon-parsley mixture.

Notes: This is a yummy, fresh-tasting recipe. It would be perfect for winter when we need some freshness for our taste buds, since quality lemon and parsley are available year-round.


Tim's Rating: 9/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Pork Chops with Bok Choy and Rice Noodles

Inspiration:
Everyday Food

Ingredients:

• 1 package (6 to 8 ounces) rice noodles
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 boneless center-cut pork chops, (about 6 ounces each)
• Coarse salt and ground pepper
• 1 large bok choy, (about 2 pounds), trimmed, cut crosswise into 1-inch strips, and washed (with some water still clinging to leaves)
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, white and green parts separated
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 piece (about 2 inches) fresh ginger, peeled and minced

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl of hot tap water, soak noodles until soft, 10 to 15 minutes; drain and set aside. Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, sesame oil, and red-pepper flakes; set aside.
2. In a large skillet with a lid, heat oil over medium-high. Season pork chops with salt and pepper. Place in skillet, and cook, turning once, until opaque throughout, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chops to a plate; loosely cover with aluminum foil, and set aside.
3. To skillet, add bok choy, scallion whites, garlic, and ginger. Cover and cook, tossing occasionally, until bok choy stems are crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes.
4. Add noodles and sauce from step 1. Cook, tossing gently, until noodles are heated through, 2 to 3 minutes.
5. Thinly slice pork chops. Serve on top of noodles, and sprinkle with scallion greens.

Notes:

• I used a heaping 1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper, because we love spicy food. You can reduce the amount to 1/8-1/4 teaspoon if you prefer.
• Garlic lovers should add another clove or two.
• Vegetarians: this recipe would be fine without the pork. You could also add sliced mushrooms or carrots with the bok choy instead.
  

Tim's Rating: 9/10 ("What is this green stuff? I like it.")
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Sichuan Green Beans

Inspiration:
This recipe on Bridget's blog which was originally published by Cooks Illustrated magazine.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon mirin or dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or use 1/4 teaspoon if you don't like spicy food)
  
• ¼ teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 pound green beans, ends trimmed, cut into 2-inch pieces
• ¼ pound ground pork
• 3 medium cloves garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 tablespoon)
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 3 scallions, white and light green parts sliced thin
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions:

1. In small bowl, stir together soy sauce, mirin or sherry, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, pepper flakes, mustard, and water until sugar dissolves; set aside.
2. Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add beans and cook, stirring frequently, until crisp-tender and skins are shriveled and blackened in spots, 5 to 8 minutes (reduce heat to medium-high if beans darken too quickly). Transfer beans to large plate.
3. Reduce heat to medium-high and add pork to now-empty skillet. Cook, breaking pork into small pieces, until no pink remains, about 2 minutes. Add garlic and ginger; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir sauce to recombine and return beans to pan with sauce. Toss and cook until sauce is thickened, 5 to 10 seconds. Remove pan from heat and stir in scallions and sesame oil. Serve immediately.

Notes: Next time I will cut the ginger and garlic to 2 teaspoons each. I will also increase the "sauce" amount by 1/2.

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8.5/10

Potstickers

Inspiration:
A Cooks Illustrated recipe, featured on Bridget's blog

Ingredients:

Filling

• 3 cups minced napa cabbage leaves (about ½ medium head)
• ¾ teaspoon table salt
• ¾ pound ground pork
• 4 minced scallions (about 6 tablespoons)
• 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
• 4 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1½ teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger
• 1 medium garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dumplings

• 36 round potsticker wrappers (see note)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 cup water, plus extra for brushing

Instructions:

1. Toss cabbage with the salt in colander set over a bowl and let stand until cabbage begins to wilt, about 20 minutes. Press the cabbage gently with rubber spatula to squeeze out any excess moisture, the transfer to a medium bowl. (If you can't get moisture to release, squeeze cabbage with hands.)
   
2. Add the remaining filling ingredients and mix thoroughly to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until mixture is cold, at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
3. Working with 4 potsticker wrappers at a time (keep the remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap), fill, seal, and shape the dumplings using a generous 1 teaspoon of the chilled filling per dumpling. Transfer the dumplings to a baking sheet and repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling; you should have about 24 dumplings. (The dumplings can be wrapped tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 1 day, or frozen for up to 1 month. Once frozen, the dumplings can be transferred to a zipper-lock bag to save space in the freezer; do not thaw before cooking.)
4. Line a large plate with a double layer of paper towels; set aside.
   
5. Brush 1 tablespoon of the oil over the bottom of a 12-inch nonstick skillet and arrange half of the dumplings in the skillet, with a flat side facing down (overlapping just slightly if necessary). Place the skillet over medium-high heat and cook the dumplings, without moving, until golden brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes.
6. Reduce the heat to low, add ½ cup of the water, and cover immediately. Continue to cook, covered, until most of the water is absorbed and the wrappers are slightly translucent, about 10 minutes.
   
7. Uncover the skillet, increase the heat to medium-high, and continue to cook, without stirring, until the dumpling bottoms are well browned and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes more.
   
8. Slide the dumplings onto the paper towel-lined plate, browned side facing down, and let drain briefly. Transfer the dumplings to a serving platter. Let the skillet cool until just warm, then wipe it clean with a wad of paper towels and repeat step 3 with the remaining dumplings, oil, and water.
9. Serve with Scallion Dipping Sauce.
   

I used these wrappers:

Instructions for different size wrappers:
Round gyoza (3¾ inches diameter), fill with 1 rounded tablespoon, steam for 10 minutes
Round wonton (3¾ inches diameter), fill with 1 rounded tablespoon, steam for 6 minutes
Square wonton (3 3/8 inches square), fill with 2 rounded teaspoons, steam for 6 minutes
Rectangular wonton (3¼ inches by 2¾ inches), fill with 1 rounded teaspoon, steam for 5 minutes.

Liz's Rating: 10/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10

Split Pea Soup with Kielbasa

Inspiration: allrecipes.com

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried split peas
• 10 cups water
• 1 pound kielbasa, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon Penzey's chicken soup base
  
• 2 carrots, chopped
  
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves

Instructions:

1. In a 5 quart slow cooker, combine the peas, water, kielbasa, bouillon, carrot, celery, garlic powder, oregano, bay leaves, and onion.
2. Cover, and cook on High for 4 to 5 hours.
   
3. Remove bay leaves before ladling into bowls.

Tim's rating: 8/10
Liz's rating: 5/10

Notes: Next time I think I will brown the kielbasa slices prior to adding them to the slow cooker.

Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, Spinach, and Cream

In process

Finished product

Inspiration:
Cara Brunetti Hillyard
Featured in Bon Appétit, January 2006

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage (casings removed, if necessary)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes with added puree
• 1 14.5-ounce diced tomatoes with liquid
• 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
  
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 pound whole wheat corkscrew or farfalle pasta
  
• Optional: 1/2 cup (packed) chopped fresh basil
  and/or freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions:

• Heat oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat.
  
• Add sausage and crushed red pepper. Sauté until sausage is no longer pink, breaking up with back of fork, about 5 minutes.
  
• Add onion, spinach and garlic; sauté until onion is tender and sausage is browned, about 3 minutes longer.
  
• Add tomatoes and cream.
  
• Reduce heat to low and simmer until sausage mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Meanwhile, cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to bite.
  
• Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to same pot.
  
• Add sausage mixture and toss over medium-low heat until sauce coats pasta, adding reserved cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry.
  
• Transfer pasta to serving dish. Sprinkle with basil. Serve, passing cheese separately.

Tim's Rating:7/10 (doesn't like chunky meat sauce)
Liz's Rating: 9/10