Home ยป Rigatoni with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Zucchini + Weekly Menu

Rigatoni with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Zucchini + Weekly Menu

I’m going on hour 29 of “me time” (not that I’m counting or anything…). Mark took the kids to his parents and I stayed back to attend my hockey game tonight – 1. it’s the championship game and 2. as captain, I have the FUN job of collecting all (stinky) jerseys and socks. Fortunately my job does not go as far as to require WASHING all of the collected items.

When they pulled away yesterday morning, I was immediately sad. It’s the curse of parenting – you cannot WAIT to get a moment alone and just as soon as you do, you’re missing the little turds. I use that word very lovingly, of course. 😉

Rather than moping and missing my crew, I’ve taken full advantage. My weekend kicked off with a pedicure, some errands, carry-out for lunch, and then a workout before heading to the beach. ALONE. The beach is a much different experience without kids. And not just without kids, but totally and completely alone. It was pretty glorious if I’m being honest.

Today, I really splurged – I booked a massage (had gift card credit left from my birthday!). Dare I say it was the best massage I’ve ever had? Pure bliss! Upon return home, I finished my morning iced coffee, caught up on tennis (Rogers Cup – go Serena!), and started in on laundry, meal planning, blogging…the usual Sunday routine, including leftovers for lunch.

One big change between feeding 1 mouth vs. 4 is the pace at which leftovers disappear. We’re REALLY good about leftovers — spoiler alert: talking all about this on an upcoming podcast episode entitled, “Packed Lunches Made Easy (ok, easiER!)”. All you leftover haters – I will just never understand!

I’ve eaten this Rigatoni with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Zucchini every day for the past 3 days and I’m not sick of it yet! Mark was so impressed with this recipe taste-wise and thrifty-wise – it used a ton of our zucchini, tomato, and basil haul from our garden and somehow, that’s always more tasty and satisfying than store-bought. Full of summer’s best produce, this is a timely recipe that is simple, flavorful, and healthy.


Rigatoni with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Zucchini
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8 servings (heaping 2 cups each)
 
Ingredients
  • 1 lb rigatoni
  • 3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 yellow onion, chopped
  • ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
  • 1 lb turkey Italian sausage (sweet or spicy), casings removed
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 6 oz tomato paste
  • 2 cups grape tomatoes
  • 1½ cups dry white wine*
  • 4 small zucchini, cut into half-moons
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • Handful fresh basil, chopped
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook 8-9 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water. Rinse pasta and set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, in a large, deep skilet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in the onion and crushed red pepper; cook until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until no longer pink, breaking into large crumbles as it cooks. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  3. Add tomato paste, tomatoes, and wine, along with the salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes begin to burst, about 8-10 minutes. Add the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes or until crisp-tender.
  4. In the empty pot used to cook the pasta, mix together the pasta and sauce, adding ½ cup reserved pasta water; add basil and stir well. Top with Parmesan and serve immediately.
Notes
Recipe from Baker by Nature
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 2 heaping cups Calories: 465 Fat: 14.6 Carbohydrates: 54.9 Sugar: 9.6 Sodium: 775 Fiber: 5.4 Protein: 22.5 Cholesterol: 44

Weekly Menu: August 11th – 15th

  • Sunday: leftovers – the above meal 🙂
  • Monday: FIL’s retirement party
  • Tuesday: Grilled Chicken Peach Caprese with roasted potatoes
  • Wednesday: leftovers for the girls – we’re going to a concert at the fair so probably fair food!
  • Thursday: beef tacos, rice, corn, and guacamole (kiddo request)

Be well,

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