Whole Grain Penne W/ Italian Sausage In Mushroom Sauce & Cheese

When my husband picked up the Italian Sausage link the last time we went grocery shopping, he was looking forward to eating them with spaghetti. Just like the way his Mother makes. With the tomato base sauce. That was my plan too until I realized the day I started assembling the dish that I ran out of spaghetti sauce. I thought I had another can of Del Monte but I thought wrong. After gathering my thoughts a bit, I decided to rummage my pantry for ingredients that would compliment the sausage. All I know is that I had to make a pasta dish.

I found a can of cream of mushroom soup, a box of whole grain penne (among the reserved pasta boxes) and of course two of the fridge’s staples, shredded cheddar cheese from the deli compartment and milk.

Slice the Italian Sausage, in medium sizes, diagonally. Brown the sides in a non-stick pan. No oil needed. The sausage is fatty enough to render it’s own oil. After browning each sides, put ‘em in a bowl and set aside.

Drain most of the fat.

In another pot, cook your pasta. You know, boiling the water, then adding the pasta, once al dente, drain the water and set aside.

Pour the cream of mushroom on the same pan. Fill the can with milk, add it into the mixture. Add the shredded cheddar cheese. A couple of handfuls would do. Sprinkle dried basil, then season with salt & pepper. Use a whisk to stir everything together. The little bits from the sausage too . Let the mixture bubble up into a boil. Whisking constantly.

Add the cooked sausages back into the pan. Stir ‘em up.

Turn the stove off. Pour the sauce mixture onto the pot of pasta. Stir everything together. VOILA!

Hubs had  a second serving so I’m guessing he didn’t mind that the sausages weren’t in spaghetti noodles & tomato based sauce like the way his Mother does . Don’t forget to sprinkle your plate with grated parmesan cheese, generously .