Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing weekend. I know that many of you might be lamenting the fact that spring has yet to arrive. I am right there with you. I cannot wait for spring to get here. I have been trying to convince myself that spring is close by making spring inspired dishes or hosting spring themed gatherings.

Speaking of hosting! I wanted to share a picture that my friend Caroline took of the brunch we did this morning. I so desperately wanted to host some sort of food related gathering and it just happened that we had something to celebrate as her and her husband are expecting their first child. Our friend Victoria also joined us and she is in the midst of planning her fall wedding which is also cause for celebration. Brunch turned out wonderfully and I was so glad we could get together and celebrate all the good news.

Caroline’s picture is just so cute!!

(I made challah french toast and the girls brought delicious fresh fruit and yogurt)

Anyhow, back to the pasta…

I made this pasta dish a few nights ago but I knew it would be perfect for the blog. This dish also has a spring flare to it with the white wine sauce and the peas. I generally like light pasta dishes so you wont see too many dishes that are laden with heavy tomato sauces or tons of ingredients. My baked ziti is the closest thing to a heavy pasta dish but even that is made with turkey and a homemade sauce.

I like this  pasta dish because it gives me the chance to use Farfalle which is one of my favorite pastas, mostly because it’s so cute! I think Farfalle works well for hot and cold dishes but either preparation seem to best when done with a light sauce. No need to drown in ladles of sauce since you really want to get the visual of eating those little bow ties.

I made this dish with some of my favorite ingredients, peas and sun-dried tomatoes. I ended up using frozen peas but I promise you they will work just fine. Using the tomatoes in oil is the best way to go because they have a lot more flavor and you can use the oil when you make the sauce. It can get a little messy trying to cut up the tomatoes but it is so worth it!

The trick to pasta dishes can be about the timing. You have to know which ingredients need longer to cook and which ones need to just a kiss of the heat before they are done. I wanted the flavors to be rich in this dish so I sautéed the meat with the shallots for a while before adding the other layers. I feel that ultimately each ingredient gets a moment in the sun before you combine it all together to make the perfect bite.

Bow Tie Pasta with Sausage and Sun-Dried Tomatoes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

1/2 Box (14 oz) Farfalle Pasta
1/2 Cup Reserved Water from Pasta Cooking
1 Pkg. Smoked Turkey Sausage (Sliced)
1/4 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Oil (Sliced)
1 Tbsp. Oil from Sun-Dried Tomatoes
1 Cup Peas (Fresh or Frozen)
1 Shallot Diced
1/2 Tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
2 Tbsp. Butter
1/3 – 3/4 Cup Dry White Wine

Instructions:

Boil your pasta according to instructions, reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid to use later. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add your butter and oil from the tomatoes. Add your shallots and cook for 2 minutes or until they become soft, add your red pepper flakes and cook an additional 2 minutes. Add the slice smoked sausage to the pan and saute everything until the sausage starts to get a little sear. * please note that I am using a sausage that is already cooked so there is no need to brown or cook the meat. Add your slice sun-dried tomatoes to the pan and continue to cook for 2-4 minutes. Finally you can add your peas and wine and allow everything to simmer on low until the wine reduces to about half. When you add the wine make sure to scrape any bits that are sticking to the pan those will help build flavor. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and then your cooked and drained bow tie noodles. Stir everything together on low until the liquid has been absorbed by the noodles and sauce. Season everything with salt and pepper at the end and top off with your favorite Italian cheese.