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.

Simon and Garfunkel Turkey Burger

In my crazed search for ways to cook ground turkey, I ran across this interestingly-titled recipe: Simon and Garfunkel Turkey Burgers.

These are really simple to make. Just blend everything together by hand (I'm getting less and less squeamish about touching raw meat!), shape into patties, and grill away!

Unfortunately, I didn't get any pictures of these burgers, so you'll just have to use your imaginations.

SIMON AND GARFUNKEL TURKEY BURGERS

INGREDIENTS
1lb. ground turkey
3 slices swiss cheese
1 tsp. minced rosemary
1 1/4 tsp. minced thyme
1 1/4 tsp. minced parsley
2 tbsp. worchestershire sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1) Mince all of the herbs.
2) Combine herbs, worchestershire sauce, and turkey. Salt and pepper to taste.
3) Form into four patties and grill until done.

HELPFUL HINTS
Aric and I grilled these inside on the Foreman. We set it to medium heat, and they cook for about six minutes. It works out very nicely.

We don't have swiss, and I wasn't about to make a special trip, so I decided to whip up some of the basil mayo from my previous turkey recipe. Basically I minced up a bunch of fresh basil from the garden and stirred it in a few globs of mayo. Nothing fancy, just adjust it to your taste.

The mayo was a really nice addition to the burgers. It enhanced the herbs that were mixed in with the meat, and also added some moisture. The burgers themselves were a little dry, so perhaps next time I'll had half an egg.

Overall, though, I really enjoyed this recipe, and I'm definitely going to make them again!