Recipe: Sausage & White Bean Pasta

I’ve been feeling hideous-guilty for not updating my blog more often. I just don’t have much to say. Well, that’s not true; I do have things to say—I’m just wanting to be careful before I say them and/or I’m being lazy about putting things in order so I can share them with you. (For instance, I want to put up a list of favorite resources—non-fiction books—but I haven’t gone to my shelves and taken stock yet.)

But I must share something; so, for now, a recipe will do. I often admire bloggers who share pictures of their fabulous recipes-in-progress, and this time I remembered to get out the camera whilst I was cooking.

And so I present, for your enjoyment, this lovely recipe that my family has been enjoying for many years now. We originally found this recipe in an old Betty Crocker cookbook—one of those “quick and easy” types. This was the only recipe we used in the entire book, so we finally just wrote it down and ditched the book (i.e., gave it to Goodwill).

Sausage and White Bean Pasta

3/4 – 1 pound small tube pasta (such as rigatoni or mostacchioli)

1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup chopped onion (less if you prefer)

1 large tomato, seeded and finely chopped or 1 15-ounce can diced tomatoes

1/2 tablespoon chicken bouillon plus 1 cup water or 1 15-ounce can chicken stock

2 teaspoons dried rosemary or 1 sprig fresh rosemary (my preference as I don’t like to eat rosemary—it feels like eating pine needles!)

1 15-ounce can cannellini (white kidney) beans (you could use red—sometimes the white are hard to find)

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.

Fry smoked sausage in skillet until browned. Add onion; cook until clear.

Add the tomato(es), the bouillon and water, and the rosemary.

After heated through, add drained and rinsed beans and the cooked pasta and combine well. (You may need to do this in a large serving bowl.)

If you used the fresh rosemary and don’t want to eat it, remove before serving.

Sprinkle individual servings with Parmesan cheese, if desired. Enjoy!