Make Your Own Pasta Night

At one point or another, both of my children have rejected tomato sauce on their pasta. I really enjoy pasta, so rather than endure endless complaining at the dinner table - or empty "tummies with crummies" at bedtime - I decided to take another approach. I combined a few of our favorite things and came up with this recipe, which makes everyone happy.

There are several components and I let my children decide which they want - it's nice to give them a bit of control over their dinner plate.

Another big plus: you can make this entire dish in the time it takes to cook the pasta.

Ingredients:

3/4 lb (12 oz) of organic fusilli pasta (or any shape of pasta you like)
1 bunch of fresh Asparation, rinsed and ends trimmed
2 mild all-natural Italian pork sausages, casings removed
1/2 of a ball of fresh mozzarella (optional), cubed
1 can of organic navy beans, drained and rinsed
organic extra virgin olive oil (you can find it at Costco!)
salt
pepper
dried oregano
garlic powder

Directions:

1. Put the pasta water on to boil. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, pepper, oregano -- since you're not putting a sauce on the pasta, these elements help to season it.
2. Remove the sausages from their casings. In a small skillet, cook the sausages, crumbling them as you go. Set aside.
3. Once the pasta water is boiling, add the pasta.
4. Rinse, trim and place the Asparation in a Pyrex dish, add about an inch of water, cover with a damp chlorine-free paper towel. Cook in the microwave on high for 3-4 minutes. You'll want it to be al dente. Drain, chop into bite-sized pieces and set aside.
5. Dice the mozzarella.
6. Once the pasta is done, drain it. You are now ready to assemble each person's dish.
7. Use a medium-sized mixing bowl and start by adding about 1 tbsp of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder, to taste. Add 1 portion of pasta, plus 1/4 cup scoops of every other ingredient. Toss, transfer to a plate or bowl and serve.

I estimate that this recipe makes about 6 servings, maybe more. The estimated cost per serving (pretax): $2.07 (see the comments section for more details)

Postscript: I also sometimes add sauteed shrimp (remove the shell, de-vein, rinse and sautee over medium heat with a bit of olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic powder until no longer translucent - careful not to overcook!)