WW Pasta with Sundried Tomato Sausage and Feta

I've learned that I like pasta.  Before this blog, I used to hate pasta.  I'm afraid to admit that part of the reason I did not like pasta was because I could not cook the pasta.  I always failed.

I'm serious.  Every single time I tried to make spaghetti or any kind of boxed noodle, it somehow turned out like crap.  I had issues with stovetop ramen for a while in college.  It's pretty pathetic to think about how excited I was on the night that I "mastered" the 3 minute preparation for stovetop ramen.

Anyway, I've learned that I like pasta.  However, I do not like your typical pasta with marinara and meatballs.  That is where I run into a problem.  I prefer to have a "fancy pasta" meal.  This is how I will describe my pasta dishes from here on.  Fancy pasta.

For some reason, fancy pasta appeals to me.  When I think of a good pasta meal, I think of olive oil, oregano, basil, shrimp, chicken...  Yummy ingredients that pair really well with a nice glass of white wine.  I think of Italy.  Sadly, I've never been to Italy.  So, when I envision my happy "italian restaurant experience," I picture myself sitting in "France" in Epcot.  ????  I don't get it either.  It's strange, but whatever.  It keeps me happy.

Add this recipe to the fancy pasta top-ten list.  This stuff was incredible!  I made some variations to the recipe because I did not want to make a whole pound of pasta for 2 people.  The original recipe also called for some zucchini but I left that out.  You can check out the original recipe from the site by clicking the link below.

This meal only took about 20 minutes to make.  And, this meal is a must try.

Pasta with Sundried Tomato Sausage

adapted from the Aidells site
Yield:  4-6 servings
Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pasta (penne, gemelli, rotini - I used WW linguine) 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 4 links Aidells Sun-Dried Tomato Sausage, sliced ¼ inch thick (I used 3)
  
• 1 roasted red pepper, sliced (I used about 1 cup of jarred roasted sweet red peppers)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped (or minced)
  
• 1 cup white wine (I used about 3/4 c of white cooking wine)
  
• 1 cup chicken stock (I used about 3/4 c of chicken broth)
  
• 2 tablespoons basil, chopped
• ½ cup Feta Cheese (or grated Parmesan) (I used the Atheno's Basil and Sundried Tomato crumbles)
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 
• Kalamata olives, if desired.
  

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted boiling water until al dente. Drain well. 
2. Add the sausage and cook for 2-3 minutes until beginning to brown. 
3. Add the zucchini, roasted pepper and garlic. 
1. This smells amazing!!
   
4. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes. 
5. Stir in the wine and stock and bring to a boil. 
6. Lower heat to medium and simmer until slightly reduced. 
1. I grew impatient for the sauce to reduce.  It wasn't and this might've had something to do with too much liquid/not enough ingredients.  I drained most of the liquid but reserved about 1/4 cup before I proceeded to step #8.  It still tasted delicious!
   
7. Toss in the cooked pasta, basil and cheese. 
8. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
9. Sprinkle with kalamata olives, if desired.