The best part of living in Panama is the affordable domestic help. Plus, they do a bit of everything—maids typically clean, cook, and walk your dog and watch your kids. Within minutes of putting out an SOS, I had two maids show up in my kitchen to help me cook. After a few rudimentary directions (okay, full disclosure… my Spanish still isn’t great), I met with a client while they prepared my recipe. I had put all of the ingredients next to the pans they would be cooked in. Pretty fool-proof, huh. But I didn’t count on a certain fly in the ointment known as “my husband.” Married women around the world are nodding their heads. Uh-huh. Some men should not be allowed in the kitchen. Ever.
When I returned from my meeting to the mouthwatering aromas of sauteed onions and sizzling sausage, I was thrilled. And then I saw a huge pan of pasta sauce that was swimming with grated carrots. Hmmm. That’s not my sauce. My husband had added his three cents—er, three Texas-sized carrots — to a recipe that I usually add three grated baby carrots., Oops.
The spicy sausage sauce looked like carrot stew with a sprinkling of sausage. I kept my eye roll to myself, and said, “Oh well. I’m sure the pasta with spicy sausage sauce will be fine.” Little did I know that the pasta sauce would be more than fine; it would be quite incredible.
We sat down to dinner, and I did my best to avoid wincing. When I cook, I always taste the sauce along the way. By the time I serve it, I know 100% what it tastes like. I had no idea what this tasted like, and to be frank, I’m not sure I wanted to know. To up the sweat factor, we were videoing this meal for my YouTube channel (#MelissaDarnayUncorked). I was fearing a “yucky face” from my all-too-honest friend Eduardo on camera for everyone to see.
My friends Rosane and Eduardo tasted it first on camera. When they put it in their mouths, I felt like an attorney who had no idea what the witness was going to say. When they raved and maid yummy noises, I let out a sigh of relief. They wouldn’t bash me on camera, and there was no yucky-face in sight. I relaxed a bit and didn’t taste it myself until the cameras had been turned off. Wow! I should let my husband come in the kitchen more often. It really was better than my “normal” pasta with spicy sausage sauce. But now I had to rename it. It was no longer a Spicy Sausage Sauce but rather a Sweet & Spicy Sausage Sauce.
My long-time recipe has been forever altered. And now that it’s teeming with carrots, it’s healthy enough to eat on a regular basis. Lucky me!
Pasta with Sweet & Spicy Sausage Sauce Recipe
1 onion, diced
2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 10.5-ounce cans of diced tomatoes
1/2 cup pesto
2-3 medium carrots, finely grated
2-3 Tbsp. Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 – 1/2 tsp. Crushed red pepper
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
Pasta, cooked according to package directions
Grated Parmesan cheese
Basil for garnish
Saute spicy sausage in a large frying pan on medium heat until it is evenly browned. Drain fat and set aside. Sauté onion, garlic and crushed red pepper in 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil over medium heat. Cook until lightly browned. Set aside. Sauté carrots in remainder of olive oil until soft, about 10 minutes. Combine sausage, onions, garlic, carrots, pesto and canned tomatoes in the saucepan or large pot. Add salt and pepper to taste, about 1 teaspoon of each. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and let cook for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally. You may need to add 1/4 cup of water if the sauce starts to look dry. You could also cook this in a crock pot on low for 6-8 hours on on high for 3-4 hours.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain water, and serve in pasta bowls. Top with Sweet & Spicy Sausage Sauce. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
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