I fear I don’t have much to say this evening. I’m in a state of after dinner bliss. Throughout my life, I have enjoyed Sunday dinners with family.  It’s a ritual of winding down the weekend, eating well, and savoring each other’s company before the work week starts again.

Tonight’s menu was focaccia with prosciutto and arugula, Caprese salad, Italian sausage and peppers, and penne lisce with marinara.

I’ve posted previously about Caprese salad. It’s quite easy and delicious. Another quick dish is focaccia with prosciutto and arugula. Lucky for me, my local market carries focaccia so I’ll have to do is toast it in a 375-degree F oven for 10 minutes. Then, I add thinly sliced prosciutto, arugula, and drizzle with olive oil. The results are scrumptious!

Next up is an Italian classic. Sausage and Peppers. I’ve made this so many times it seems like second nature to cook it. The ingredients are few: 6 links of Italian sausage, 3 cloves of garlic (minced), 3 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 large yellow onion (sliced), 2 red peppers (sliced), and 2 green peppers (sliced). The cooking is easy: Pour 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a large sauté pan over medium high heat and brown sausages on all sides (12-15 minutes). Remove sausages from pan and place on a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to your pan that should have some drippings from the cooked sausage. Then, put in the onions and sweat for 3 minutes. Mix in the peppers and garlic, cover with aluminum foil, and cook for another 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slice up the Italian sausage and return to the pan to heat through (3-5 minutes).

And now for the main course. Penne lisce with marinara. Yes, pasta. Marinara sauce comes in many varieties. I make it differently depending on how much time I have to cook and what ingredients I have around the house or garden. This was today’s version:

Marinara á la Sunday

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 28 oz. can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• 14 oz. can of diced tomatoes
• 1/4 cup of freshly chopped parsley
• 1 heaping teaspoon of freshly chopped oregano
• 1 heaping teaspoon of freshly chopped basil
• 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon of baking soda

Directions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the onion and sweat for 3-5 minutes. Then, stir in the garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Pour in the crushed tomatoes and the diced tomatoes. Add the parsley, oregano, basil, salt, pepper, sugar, nutmeg, red pepper flakes, and Parmesan cheese. Lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour. Add the baking soda and cook for an additional 15 minutes.

Cook 1 pound of penne lisce to al dente (11-13 minutes). Mix together drained pasta and sauce. Enjoy!