Mammy is cooking to tonight!!!!

Himself has been doing most of the cooking lately.  Since he was made redundant from his job he seems to be out to make me redundant from mine by doing everything I used to do.  Some of it he does better but some of it . . . nah!  He makes a mean roast dinner and Fry up but I win hands down at making tasty dinners.  No, don't get me wrong, his roasts and fries are legendary but his day to day meals are kind've . . . alright.  He's back at college in the evening now and I get to cook with no one telling me I'm messy and disorganised (which, by the way, I would never deny).  I've also got fed up with the kids taking the piss out of me by saying I never EVER make dinner anymore.

So last night, cakes out early, I thought right, time to cook.  This isn't high dining but it is delicious and it uses those little jars on the door.  You know the jars, the spice jars!!!  I added a tablespoon of marscapone as I had some left over and I also added a tablespoon of sugar to sweeten the tomatoes (I find tinned tomatoes sometimes need this to bring their natural flavour out.

You'll need (for 5 people):

Good glug olive oil (2 tbsp).

8 nice pork sausages, don't use cheap ones as not worth the taste, with the skin removed.

2 garlic cloves.

1 tsp fennel seeds.

2 tsp smoked paprika

2 pinches of chili flakes.

2 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes.

Generous splash of red wine (I used 8 ice cubes worth, I always freeze left over wine for cooking)

Approx. 300g penne pasta (or the swirly one or the one that looks like fat penne i.e. rigatoni

Then you:

1. Heat the olive oil in a non stick pan.  Pinch small pieces of sausage into the pan (or roll into small balls which is what I did because I didn't read the bit about just pinching bits of sausage off?!) and cook until browned.  Add the garlic and cook for a minute before adding the spices and cooking for another minute.  Add the tomatoes, wine and sugar and simmer for 20 minutes.  Now, I actually cooked it for about 40 minutes to an hour as I wanted  really thick sauce.  If you are adding marscapone cheese you add it . .  now!
2. Cook your pasta of choice according to pack instructions and then toss in with sauce.

original recipe (and better photographs) .. .  here!