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Have you ever tried smoked mozzarella cheese? It's sort of like a mozzarella version of gouda. I had never encountered it until my father used it in a recipe he got from a local butcher shop.
This is the recipe, with lots of changes from the original which called for three times as much cheese. We found with smoked mozzarella that, unlike regular mozzarella which is quite mild in flavor, a little goes a long way.
We've made this several times; it now makes a regular appearance in my parent's home because it's quick, filling, and tasty. It also makes terrific leftovers!
More easy pasta dinners
- Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage
- Easy Italian Sausage Spaghetti
- Creamy Ziti Florentine
- Shrimp with Olives, Tomatoes, and Orzo
- Shrimp Pasta alla Vodka
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 14-ounce cans crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes
- 1 pound Italian turkey sausage, bulk or cut into 1/2-inch slices*
- Pinch red pepper flakes
- 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
- Salt
- 3 ounces smoked Mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- *If you put the sausage in the freezer first for a half hour, it will be easier to slice.
Method
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Sauté onions and garlic
Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
Elise Bauer -
Add tomatoes and sausage
Add the tomatoes to the pan (if using canned whole tomatoes shred them with your fingers as you add them to the pan). Include the juices.
Add the sausage and red pepper flakes. Cover and cook on medium low heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.
Elise Bauer Elise Bauer -
Cook the pasta
While the sauce is cooking, cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a teaspoon and a half of salt for every quart of water.
Cook the pasta according to pasta package instructions, until al dente, or cooked through, but still a bit firm. Drain the water from the pasta.
Combine the pasta and the sauce in a large serving bowl.
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Add smoked mozzarella and Parmesan
Stir in the cubed smoked mozzarella cheese. Continue to stir until the cheese has softened and is a bit melty. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Elise Bauer
Links:
Fettuccine with Creamy Tomato Italian Sausage Sauce here on Simply Recipes
Sausage, peppers, and smoked mozzarella panini from Kathy of Panini
Herb butter mushrooms with smoked mozzarella from Shaheen, The Purple Foodie
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