tubes 'n' stuff

my sister-in-law shared this recipe with me years ago and it's been a stand-by because it's so fast and whips up with things i usually always have on hand.  the "tubes" are rigatoni, but i've used any and all pasta and all work great.

ingredients

1/2 lb rigatoni
1/2 lb Italian sausage (chicken or turkey sausage also works great)
28oz can diced tomatoes
15oz can white beans
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
20 basil leaves, coarsely chopped


directions

boil the pasta and drain.  cook sausage about halfway, then add garlic and onion until onion is almost soft.  add tomato and beans and heat through.  take off the heat, throw on the basil and cover for 5 min.  pour over the pasta, mix and enjoy!

biscuits and gravy

this is my favorite iteration of the classic from martha stewart magazine a few years back.  it's even yummy with chicken and apple sausage, though you will need to omit the flour and use corn starch as a thickener.  serve over these biscuits with a fried egg on top.

ingredients

8 oz pork breakfast sausage, crumbled (remove casing)
3 T flour
3/4 C evaporated milk
1 1/2 chicken stock
1/4 C half and half or whole milk
1/2 t freshly ground nutmeg
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper to taste


directions

brown the sausage and remove with a slotted spoon.  reserve 3T fat.  add flour and stir about 4 min over medium.  stir in evaporated milk, stock and half and half.  bring to a simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan continuously until thickened, about 8 min.  stir in nutmeg, cayenne, salt pepper and sausage.