The Best Breakfast Casserole

Inspiration:
My sister Ellen made this over Thanksgiving, and we made it again for Christmas morning. It's hands down the best baked breakfast we've ever had. You must try it!
Recipe from Johnsonville.


Ingredients:

• 1 package (12 oz.) Johnsonville® breakfast sausage links
• 6 English muffins, cut into 1-in. cubes
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup (4 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup chopped onion (omitted)
• 1/2 cup chopped red pepper (omitted)
• 12 eggs
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper
• 1/4 cup bacon bits (omitted)
  

Instructions:

1. Cook sausage according to package directions. Cool slightly; cut into ¼-in. slices.
2. In a greased 13in. x 9 in. baking dish, layer half the English muffin cubes and half the cooked sausage. Repeat layers.
3. Drizzle with butter and top with the cheese, onion and red pepper.

   In a large bowl, combine the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour over casserole. Sprinkle with bacon. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. Remove from the refrigerator 30 minutes before baking.
   
5. Uncover and bake at 350˚F for 45-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Let stand 5 minutes.

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

Sicilian Shepherd's Tomato Pasta with Fresh Ricotta

Inspiration:
Lynne Rossetto Kasper of The Splendid Table on NPR


Ingredients:

• 1 15-ounce container creamy whole-milk ricotta cheese
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup coarsely chopped salami (such as soppressata or Genoa)
• 2 stalks celery with leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped carrot
• 10 large fresh sage leaves, snipped
• 1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley leaves, snipped
• 2 medium onions (about 1 cup), chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 large cloves, garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1 28-ounce can and 1 14-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and cut up
• 1 pound penne rigate or bucatini pasta
• 6 quarts boiling salted water

Instructions:

1. Let ricotta come to room temperature. In a 12-inch skillet heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the salami; cook to release a little of its fat. Stir in the celery, carrot, sage, parsley, onions, black pepper, and salt. Reduce heat to medium; cook and stir until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
2. Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes; cook 1 minute. Add the wine and simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes. Cook, uncovered, about 10 minutes or until thick.
3. Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain in a colander.
4. Add the pasta to the sauce and toss together over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes or until heated through. Spread about one-third of the pasta in a warm serving bowl. Top with one-third of the ricotta. Layer in more pasta and ricotta, then the remaining pasta; finish with a few spoonfuls of ricotta. Serve hot.

Recipe Notes:

Soffritto is literally a "sautéed base" and is the building block for tomato sauce. This pasta dish features the best of pasta, cheese and tomatoes all in one place. Lynne Rossetto Kasper, author and radio show host of "The Splendid Table®," is fond of this dish. Use the sweetest, creamiest ricotta cheese you can find. Soppressata or Genoa salami add a pleasant amount of spice to this pasta dish; you can find these varieties at a gourmet food store.

Notes:
This was a new twist on pasta sauce- I really enjoyed it. It's amazing how much better homemade sauce tastes. This was a fairly easy recipe as long as you don't mind chopping some vegetables. You could surely make the sauce ahead of time. Before eating, boil the pasta, warm up the sauce, and toss together.

I am not the world's biggest fan of ricotta cheese, but this was good. I think the sauce would be just fine without the ricotta. I did attempt to find sheep's milk ricotta without success- when I can find some, I'll try this again!

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

Sausage and Lentils with Spinach

Inspiration:
Bon Appétit


Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 pound kielbasa sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 6-ounce packages sliced crimini (baby bella) mushrooms
• 3 garlic cloves, pressed
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 pound dried brown lentils, rinsed
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups (or more) low-salt chicken or vegetable broth
• 10 oz fresh baby spinach leaves

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add sausage and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to plate.
   
2. Add onion and mushrooms to pot; sprinkle with salt and sauté until mushrooms are soft, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes. Add garlic and thyme; stir 1 minute. Add lentils and bay leaves; stir to coat. Add 6 cups broth; bring to boil.
   
3. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer until lentils are tender, stirring occasionally, about 18 minutes. Return sausage to pot. Add spinach in 2 batches, stirring until wilted. Season with salt and pepper.

Recipe Notes: A complete, one-pot meal. Total time: 50 minutes

Nutritional Information--One serving (1/8th of the recipe) contains the following:
Calories (kcal) 466.8
%Calories from Fat 42.0
Fat (g) 21.8
Saturated Fat (g) 6.4
Cholesterol (mg) 41.2
Carbohydrates (g) 43.0
Dietary Fiber (g) 15.2
Total Sugars (g) 6.1
Net Carbs (g) 27.8
Protein (g) 26.9


My Notes:

• Local Twin Citians must try the Hardwood Smoked Country-Style Sausage from Prairie Pride Farm (available at the Saint Paul Farmers Market). I am obsessed with it and look for any excuse to use it! I don't see it for sale on their website, but they always have it at the market.

• Vegetarians/Vegans can try to substitute veggie sausage.

• Chicken sausage could be substituted for those who do not eat pork. Trader Joe's makes a great smoked chicken apple sausage that would be delicious in this.

Tim's Rating: 8.5/10
Liz's Rating: 8/10 (9/10 with bites that included sausage!)

Low-Country Seafood Boil

Inspiration:
A fall get-together with friends, including our co-host and friend Eric
and
Captain Jim Lemke and Patrick Nolan's recipe, promoted by Bobby Flay


Ingredients:

• 4 to 6 ounces crab boil spices
• 1 lemon, quartered
• 3 to 4 whole garlic cloves
• 1 red pepper, sliced
• 1 green pepper, sliced
• 3 pounds mushrooms, cleaned
• 3 to 4 scallions
• 2 to 3 peeled whole onions
• 9 ounces hot sauce
• 10 pounds smoked hot sausage
• 5 pounds tiny whole potatoes
• 25 to 30 ears corn
• 2 to 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 7 to 10 pounds mussels
• 15 to 25 pounds medium or large shrimp

Instructions:

1. Start with a 20-quart pot filled over 1/3 with fresh cold water. In the pot add crab boil mix to the water. Squeeze juice from 2 of the lemon quarters into the water, and drop in the rinds. Add the garlic cloves, red and green pepper slices, mushrooms, scallions, whole onions, and hot sauce into the water. Bring to a boil, and then add sausage and potatoes. Bring to a second boil, and continue cooking for 5 to 10 minutes, or until potatoes start to get soft. Add the corn, chopped garlic, and start a count of 5 minutes. Do not wait until water boils. At 5 minutes, add mussels. 3 minutes later, add shrimp. Boil for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Drain immediately.

2. Serve with plenty of napkins.

Recipe Notes:
Serves 25-30. For different variations, any seafood could be added to the pot.


My Notes:

• I don't think it could be much easier for a party planner than choosing a menu that involves only one pot!
• We had 10 guests and scaled down the recipe to include 2.5lbs sausage, 3lbs potatoes, 10 ears corn, 3lbs mussels, 3lbs shrimp, and 2.5oz Old Bay. We probably had enough to serve 12-15 people.
• We had a smaller pot for our vegetarian friends, with all ingredients except sausage and seafood. Our friend brought veggie sausage, which was a nice addition.
  
• Luckily our friend Eric has a big (16 gallon) pot, and a spoon with a really long handle. Plan on borrowing some large pots if you aren't so lucky!
  
• This was a fun event that will likely become an annual experience.

Menu:
Seafood Boil
Cornbread and Collard Greens, brought by a guest
Peach and Pear Custard Pies, brought by a guest
Beer!

Sausage Risotto with Mustard Greens

Inspiration:
Bon Appétit

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch dandelion greens, Swiss chard, or mustard greens (12 ounces), tough bottom stems removed, leaves cut into 3/4-inch pieces
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, divided
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped
• 6 ounces mild Italian sausage (about 1 1/2 links), casings removed
• 2 cups arborio rice (13 to 14 ounces)
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups low-salt chicken broth
• 3/4 cup (packed) freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Instructions:

1. Cook greens in boiling salted water just until wilted, about 1 minute. Drain; cool.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large saucepan over medium heat; add onion and garlic. Sauté until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add sausage; sauté until brown, breaking up with spoon, about 3 minutes.
   

3. Add rice; stir 1 minute. Add wine; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until wine is almost absorbed. Add 1 cup broth. Stir until broth is almost absorbed. Add remaining 4 cups broth by 1/2 cupfuls, allowing broth to be absorbed before adding more. Mix in greens after 10 minutes. Cook until rice is tender and mixture is creamy, 25 minutes total. Mix in cheese and remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Serve risotto, passing additional cheese.

Notes: Tim stirred. He says stirring is his best kitchen task, and as we all know, risotto needs some good stirring!

Vegetarian Option: Replace sausage with additional greens or mushrooms and use vegetable broth.

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

Spicy Kale Chowder with Andouille Sausage

Inspiration:
Another "staff favorite" recipe from Food & Wine and some local andouille sausage.


Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 2 large onions, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 1 pound andouille sausages, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• One 28-ounce can Italian plum tomatoes, chopped, juices reserved
• 3 quarts low-sodium chicken broth
• 3/4 pound kale, large stems and ribs discarded, leaves coarsely chopped (8 cups)
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a large soup pot. Add the garlic and onions and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 12 minutes. Add the ginger and andouille and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the tomatoes and their juices; bring to a boil. Add the stock and kale; return to a boil.
2. Reduce the heat to moderate and simmer the soup until the kale is tender, about 10 minutes. Season the soup with salt and pepper and serve, or let cool and freeze.

Recipe Notes: This soup can be frozen for up to 1 month.

My Notes: This was an easy soup to make, aside from lots of onion chopping. I am learning I am not a huge fan of andouille, so I would personally omit it or use kielbasa next time.

If you like andouille, check out French Quarter Potatoes with Andouille-- one of Tim's favorites.


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

Tim Cooks: Pasta with Sausage, Basil and Mustard

Inspiration:
Whenever I have something in my freezer or pantry that I would like to use, but I don't have a recipe in mind, I head to the Food & Wine website. They have a search function where you can find recipes that utilize any ingredient. I always check the boxes for "staff favorite" and "fast" first. I have never made a bad "staff favorite" recipe-- they are always awesome!

Adapted from this recipe by Nigel Slater.

I had a work presentation the next morning, so Tim took over the cooking duties. He says it was really simple to make.


Ingredients:

• 12 ounces short tubular pasta
  
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1.5 pounds bulk Italian sausage
  
• 3/4 cup dry white wine (use stock if you do not consume alcohol)
  
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons grainy mustard
• Pinch of crushed red pepper
• 1 cup thinly sliced basil
• Parmesan for garnish, if desired
  

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the sausage meat and brown over moderately high heat, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, mustard and crushed red pepper and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the pasta and basil and toss to coat. Serve at once.

Notes:
This tastes vastly better than it looks. We had spicy bulk sausage, and this dish was SPICY. In a good way. I loved the combination of the spicy sausage, the strong mustard flavor, and the different textures. Do not use dried basil. I would not substitute turkey or chicken sausage in this dish; I think the rich pork flavor makes it special. I do not usually like leftovers, but I happily ate these leftovers 3 times. Loved it.


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

Balsamic Lentils with Chicken Sausage

Inspiration:
Cara's Cravings


Ingredients:

• olive oil
• 1 medium onion, diced
  
• 2 cloves of minced garlic
  
• 1/4-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
  
• 3 links fully cooked chicken sausage, sliced
• 2T balsamic vinegar, divided
  
• 14oz can diced tomatoes
  
• pinch of dried basil
  
• freshly ground salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1/2 cup dry lentils
  
• 3/4 cup water
  
• 5 oz fresh spinach, roughly chopped

Instructions:

1. Heat about 1T olive oil in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook for about 5-8 minutes, until softened.
   
2. Add 1T balsamic vinegar, garlic, chicken sausage, crushed red pepper, basil, salt and pepper and sauté 1-2 minutes more.
   
3. Add the lentils, canned tomatoes, and water, and stir to combine. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes.
   
4. Add spinach and cook 10 minutes more, until spinach is wilted and lentils are tender.
5. Stir in remaining 1T of balsamic vinegar, and serve.
   

Notes: Cara recommends Member's Mark Asiago & Spinach Chicken Sausage from Sam's Club; I found local chicken sausage at the co-op that was delicious! Vegetarians could easily substitute veggie sausage.


Tim's Rating: 8.75/10
Liz's Rating: 9.5/10

Milwaukee in a Bowl: Brat, Beer, and Cheese Soup

Inspiration:

Bratwurst from the Farmer's Market and a recipe from the Penzey's spice catalog.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 cup finely chopped carrots
  
• 1 cup finely chopped celery
  
• 1 cup finely chopped onions
  
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  
• 1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
  
• 6 cups chicken broth
  
• 12 ounces beer
  
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic power
  
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
  
• 1/2 cup half and half
  
• 1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
  
• 3 cooked bratwurst, sliced

Instructions:

1. In a Dutch oven, heat oil over medium. Stir in carrot, celery and onion - cook until very tender, stirring often, about 12 to 15 minutes. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
   
   
2. Add potatoes, broth and beer - bring mixture to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Season with garlic powder, mustard powder and cayenne pepper, along with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
   
   
3. Meanwhile, fry the bratwurst slices until browned on both sides.
   
   
4. Stir milk and Worcestershire into the soup. Remove from the heat and gradually stir in the cheese until melted and smooth. Remove roughly 2 cups of vegetables, along with some of the liquid, and place into a food processor - process until smooth. Pour back into the soup and place pot back over low heat. Stir in cooked bratwurst - heat until the soup has warmed through, about 5 more minutes.
   

Recipe Notes:
"Milwaukee in a bowl. Our hometown is known for many things, but these three are our favorites, especially when they are combined in this heavenly soup. If you can't find brats in your area, you can use kielbasa, or even bacon."

My Notes:
Yum.

Tim's Rating: 9.5/10 "The perfect food to have during a Packer game."

Liz's Rating: 9/10

Sausage and Sauerkraut Pizza

Inspiration:
We have sauerkraut pizza at the Vermilion Club in Tower, MN every time we visit my aunt and uncle's cabin. It sounds like a weird combination, but it's really good! I think the leftovers are even better. Vegetarian sauerkraut pizza would be tasty as well.


Ingredients/Instructions:

• pizza dough (see link for instructions)
  
• 3 cups bread flour
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon instant yeast
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
  
• pizza sauce (just mix together)
  
• 1 small can tomato sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• toppings
  
• 2 cups "pizza blend" shredded cheese
• 3/4 lb Italian sausage, browned and crumbled
• 1 can sauerkraut, well drained
  

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

Wisconsin-Style Bratwurst

Inspiration:
A love for bratwurst due to our Wisconsin upbringing.

Ingredients:

• fresh bratwurst
  (not pre-cooked; preferably from a local butcher)
• hard rolls
• spicy mustard
  (my favorite is Beer'n Brat Mustard)
  
• 24 ounces beer
  (preferably Miller, since these are Wisconsin-style brats, but really any beer but Budweiser!)
• large sweet onion, halved and sliced into 1/4 inch thick slices
  
• sauerkraut
  (preferably bagged or Frank's Kraut)

Instructions:

1. Prepare coals in a charcoal grill.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pot on medium-low heat, simmer/boil brats and onion in beer (add water to cover if necessary) until brats are cooked through.
3. Continue to boil onions in beer after removing the brats.
   
4. Grill brats until nicely browned.
5. Serve in hard rolls with mustard, onions, and sauerkraut.

Notes:
In a discussion on a cooking board I frequent, we shared different bratwurst preparation styles. Some people, like me, prefer to boil the brats in beer and onion prior to grilling. Other people swear by grilling the raw brats first, then soaking in beer and onions before serving, because it soaks up more beer flavor that way. Finally, some people add green pepper to the beer-onion mixture. In my opinion, green peppers do NOT belong with bratwurst! Italian sausages, maybe, but not bratwurst.

I hope you enjoy our method.

Rigatoni with Sausage and Parsley

Inspiration:
Everyday Food: Great Food Fast (p. 325)

Ingredients:

• 1 pound bulk spicy Italian sausage, removed from casings and crumbled
  
• 2 medium red onions, halved and sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 14 ounces chicken broth
  
• 1 lb rigatoni
• 3 cups fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
• coarse salt + fresh ground pepper

Instructions:

1. In a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage until browned, breaking apart any large pieces with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are carmelized and the sausage is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the broth; cook until heated through, 3 to 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile in large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta until al dente according to the package instructions. Drain; return to the pot.
3. Add sausage mixture, parsley, and Parmesan to pasta; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
   

Notes:
The parsley from my CSA is just delicious! Try to find good-quality flat-leaf parsley for this recipe. Sometimes it's nice to have a pasta without a tomato or cream sauce. This fits the bill.

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

French Quarter Potatoes with Andouille

Inspiration:
A Williams-Sonoma recipe featured on the blog What Did you Eat?

Ingredients:

• 2 Tablespoons Creole or stone ground mustard
  
• 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (more if you like spice)
  
• 1/8 teaspoons ground Allspice
  
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 1/4 lb (625 g) small red or white potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
  
• 4 bay leaves
  
• freshly ground black pepper
  
• 6 large cloves garlic
  
• 1 1/2 cups chopped red onions
  
• 4 andouille sausage links. quartered lengthwise and then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch chunks
  
• 2 green onions, pale and green parts, chopped

Instructions:

1. In a small bowl, combine the mustard Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and allspice. Set aside
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy nonstick skillet and cook the potatoes, bay leaves and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper over medium heat for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Cover the pan as they cook. When potatoes are tender, add the garlic, and onions and raise the heat to high and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Then add the sausage and stir until heated through. Stir in the mustard mixture, then serve, topping with green onions.
   

Notes:
We both loved this. Keep in mind we're both from Wisconsin, of German descent (Tim more than me), and love sausage and potatoes.
The original recipe calls for green bell pepper, but I omitted since we don't care for it.
This is a very tasty recipe. It's probably more of a winter recipe than summer, but I had andouille I needed to use up!


Liz's Rating: 9/10
Tim's Rating: 10/10
("One of the best things I've ever tasted.")

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