Spaghetti with Sausage, Peas, and Garlic.

And speaking of sausage...

We did happen to have 1/3 of a pound of sausage leftover from our previous skillet adventures. About to go bad, I decided to use it up. I created a tasty dish which was heavily inspired by the latest issue of Rachel Ray's magazine, which features a really great article about pasta and various sauces you can make for it.

I decided to use spaghetti, since we have about three boxes sitting around. I was missing one ingredient for all but one of Rachel Ray's pasta sauce recipes - olive oil, garlic, and parsley.

Super simple. 1/3 cup of EVOO, 1/4 cup of chopped parsley (I used dried, but you could certainly use fresh), and 1 tbsp. garlic. Plus a dash of salt. Heat in a skillet over medium heat until the garlic starts to sizzle, then toss with your pasta.

The cool thing about the pasta article in the magazine is that it included ways to customize the various pasta sauces and make them a little more exciting (in case garlic and EVOO aren't thrilling enough for you). The one that really caught my eye was the garlic and EVOO base with the addition of sausage, red pepper flakes, and broccoli. In true Katie fashion, however, I didn't have broccoli and had to substitute something. I settled on peas, because they're delicious and in no way resemble broccoli (which I despise).

Once the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sausage (mine was already cooked, but you could use raw), 2 cups peas, and 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes .Or 1/4 TABLESPOON, if you're like me and can't read. It was delicious, regardless. The red pepper flakes, garlic, and sausage played together so nicely.

And this meal couldn't have come together any easier. While the pasta boils, prepare the sauce. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot, then combine the pasta and sauce with tongs. Boom. Done. Delicious.

Thank you, Rachel Ray, for being so awesome.