It’s March, ya’ll. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that fewer than 10% of you are gnawing on a carrot right now. If you, like most of us, because we’re human, have abandoned lofty resolutions of losing a lot of weight or like me, just cutting back, then by all means, splurge with me on this dish.
It’s a combination of fresh puttanesca with kielbasa — or you can go with a more fat-friendly smoked turkey kielbasa. I throw in cut up zucchini squash and sweet peppers that I’ve lightly seared. And then, yes, the pasta.
This is definitely a once-in-a-while kind of meal. I don’t eat it often, but when I do, my eyes roll back in my head.
The house smelled lovely when I returned home. There is nothing more down home than when you walk into a home that’s deeply lived in and tossed in an aroma of someone cooking up a meal.
This dish has a few steps, so “quick” isn’t the first word that comes to mind. Having said that, it’s worth every minute you spend rustling these ingredients together. I made enough to share. I’d ask you to stop by but I did the usual rounds and many enjoyed this. “Whoa, that was good,” said the neighbor down the street.
Puttanesca Calabrese
1 kielbasa sling, cut in cubes
1 zucchini, cut in cubes
1 bell pepper, cut in sections
1/2 red onion
1 small jar of olives, green or kalamata
4 cloves of garlic
28 oz. diced tomatoes
2 oz. vinegar
1-3 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups rotini pasta prepared according to the package
Feta cheese
In a large skillet drizzle with 1 Tablespoon olive oil. Toss in the zucchini and peppers. Saute’ for 3 minutes. Set aside in a casserole dish. Place the kielbasa with 1 Tablespoon olive oil in the pan cover and brown for about 4 minutes turning occasionally.
In a food processor, throw in the tomatoes, onion, olives, garlic, vinegar and 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. Pulse until chopped and chunky. Mix this in the casserole pan with all the ingredients. Sprinkle with feta cheese.
You can either bake this to serve hot or you can eat it warm. The puttanesca is great cold or hot.
Janet McCormick is the author of “10-Minute Meals.” She can be reached at 304-654-2003 or www.10-minutemeals.com.
