No Sauce??

Okay first thing is first. I can't let today's post begin without taking a minute to say Happy Birthday to the very best woman I know. The most patient, loving and kind person I know. The lady who has always been in my corner, and to this day will still spoil me and tell me every chance she gets that "I am her world". My person I can talk to like a friend, but get guidance from like a parent. That's right, today is my Mom's birthday, and nobody else on this earth deserves a happy, blessed day as much as she does. So, "Happy Birthday, Mom. I love you. I strive to be more like you every day, and treasure you a little more with each passing year."

Okay, now onto the food!

Pasta and sauce. Sauce and pasta. These words go hand in hand, and are pretty dependent on one another. Or so I thought. Until I found this recipe...

When I first read the list of ingredients I was pretty psyched because of all the veggies, especially the zucchini. I can't get enough of it, and don't have nearly enough recipes with it, so that was the first thing to catch my eye. (Side note: Be sure to remember this dish come summer when all of our garden growers have zucchini coming out of our ears!) The second thing, well honestly the second and third, thing I noticed (because I re-read the list again to make sure) was that it contained no sauce per say. Or at least not the conventional way I think of pasta sauces. So to be honest, I was a little leery wondering if it would be too dry for our tastes. Not at all! The saute of veggies and the renderings of the sausage truly make a sauce like quality, coating every inch of the pasta.

While I didn't do the actual math while shopping for this recipe, I can say with almost certainty it could easily be made for less than $10, especially since a couple of the things, like the onion and garlic, you might already have on hand. So if feeding your family on a budget is a weekly struggle, this is a great one to stretch a buck.

Sauce or not, this is a delicious pasta supper that will satisfy your hungry family any night of the week.

Bowtie Pasta with Italian Sausage From Comfy in the Kitchen
16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked and drained
5 Sweet Italian Sausage links
15 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 zucchini, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced
3 TBS olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

While pasta is cooking, in a large skillet cook sausages according to package directions. Mine were browned on all sides and then simmered in 1/2 c. water until cooked through. When cooked, drain on paper towels and slice into coin shapes. Add the olive oil to renderings from sausage on medium heat. Add all veggies and saute until tender, about 5-7 minutes. Add sausage back in and mix well. Mix drained pasta with sausage mixture and add Parmesan cheese if desired.

Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain Feb. 20, 2013
Shared on Miz Helen's Country Cottage Feb. 21, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook Feb. 22, 2013

Pasta at Very Good Recipes
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