Friday, October 21, 2011

Lady and the Tramp

sometimes you find yourself hanging out with your niece and nephew and watching old classics like Lady and the Tramp.  And then a strange urge comes over you.  You wonder, what is this hunger inside of me?  How did it Start?  Then you realize your watching the scene everyone remembers, the scene where Lady and Tramp are dining on spaghetti and meatballs. Then you realize you must have this at any cost . . you shall have . . . you will have it.  The next night you are settled into a hazy bliss of garlicky tomatoey with a glass of white winey goodness.  Ahhhhh.

My Quick and Simple Mushroom and Sausage Tomato Sauce

1 jar of Whole Food's 365 Roasted Garlic Tomato sauce (well I did say Simple)
8 oz. of good quality Italian sausage (house made stuff)
A double cupped handful of cremini mushrooms, halved then sliced
Red wine
A pinch or two of cinnamon
A sprinkling of oregano
1 TBS of Brown Sugar
4 pats of really good butter, I used organic and local Rose Valley brand
Olive Oil

Warm you sauce pan over medium heat with a nice amount of olive oil to coat.  When the pan feels warm add the sausage bit by bit.  Fry this up till lovely and brown.  Remove sausage and set aside.  Add 1 pat of butter and allow to melt.  Put the mushrooms into the pan and using a spatula, wooden spoon or whatever toss the mushrooms about in the butter.  Leave for a wee bit.  Don't fuss about with it, just let them be and let them brown.  Once starting to brown and soften and an extra pat of butter over the mushrooms and stir this pat of butter about with the mushrooms to make sure each slice has been coated with butter.  Allow to be still again and cook for a wee bit more.  Add back in the sausage.  Add the cinnamon and oregano.  Stir.  Add enough red wine to fully submerge everything.  Scrape up the brown bits.  Turn to high and allow red wine to boil off till almost gone but not quite.  Add in the Jar of Sauce.  Stir about, scrapping stuff and combining all thoroughly.  Add the brown sugar.  Stir.  Have this simmering for a good bit, like ten minutes maybe.  Turn off the heat then and add two pats of butter and the end stirring them in till melted and combined.
Serve over pasta with whatever cheese you like.  Although this sauce was so damn good I didn't really need any cheese.