Baked Pasta with Italian Sausage

Often recipes look great but often I don't have everything needed.  I'm getting more confident in guessing good substitutions or additions and this recipe is one that turned out great in it's modified version!  Here it is below.

1 (12 oz) package dry (penne or bow tie work well) pasta
2 tsp olive oil
1 pound mild Italian sausage (not in casing)
1 clove chopped garlic
1 c chopped onion
1 tsp basil
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (14.5 oz) pizza sauce
1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Heat oil in a large, deep skillet. Place sausage, garlic, onion and basil in skillet and cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain excess fat. Stir in tomato sauce, pizza sauce and tomato paste. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Toss with cooked pasta, and place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle top with mozzarella.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Maple Nut Tart

A recipe has to be good if that's the first thing someone asks you about, after having not seen you for two years!  I was at Llama Fest yesterday and our former pastor's wife asked if I still had the recipe from  a pie I made them for Pastor's Appreciation Month back in 2009!  I remembered of course because it has two of my favorites: Maple and Pecan.  She said she would love the recipe so I found it again for her and decided to put it up here as well.  I didn't have a tart pan so I made it into a pie when I made it last.
 
Maple Nut Tart

Ingredients:
2 large eggs
1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup pure maple syrup
1 1/2 cups pecan pieces
1 1/2 cups walnut pieces

Yields 8 servings.


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 F. On lightly floured piece of wax paper or parchment paper, roll pie dough into 12-inch circle. Carefully fit into 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan, gently lowering dough into bottom and sides of pan without stretching. Roll rolling pin over edge of tart pan to cut off excess dough; set tart shell aside.

In medium bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar and salt; whisk in maple syrup. Add nuts, and mix filling to combine. Place tart pan on rimmed baking sheet, and pour in filling. Bake tart until filling is set and crust is slightly golden, 55 to 60 minutes. Cool completely in pan. Remove tart from pan before serving.

- From Everyday Food, November 2007

 Pie Crust
 

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold, cut into pieces
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water
 
 Yields 1 single crust.



In large bowl using pastry blender, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add butter, and cut in with pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal, with just a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining.

Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water, and continue to work dough with pastry blender until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed with fingers. (If needed, add up to 2 tablespoons more ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time.) Do not overwork dough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; form into 3/4-inch thick disk. Wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour. (Or wrap in plastic, place in a resealable plastic bag, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator before rolling.)