Tagliatelle with Kielbasa Onions and Tomatoes

I'm so happy to be able to share this accidental family-favorite pasta dish with you.  It came about in the usual way - I had no idea what to make for dinner, but I needed to get something on the table and the only thing I had in the fridge was a ring of Kielbasa.  I honestly didn't expect us to like it as much as we did, but we devoured it so I quickly jotted down the recipe so I could make it again and again. The sauteed Kielbasa adds a bit of smoky flavor to the sauce while the caramelized onions add a little sweetness - throw in a little garlic and tomato, boil up some pasta, and you've got yourself one fabulous meal.  If you don't try any other recipe on my blog, try this one - I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Tagliatelle w/Kielbasa Onions and Tomatoes

serves 4-6

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 pound Polish Kielbasa, cut into coins

• 1 medium onion, "frenched" (sliced from pole to pole)

• 2 large cloves of garlic, minced

• 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes (chopped, diced, pureed all work too - I've even used Ro-tel tomatoes)

• salt and pepper to taste (careful - Kielbasa can be salty)

• 1 pound tagliatelle pasta, cooked al dente in well salted water

Directions

1. Heat a very large skillet over medium-high heat.

2. Saute Kielbasa in batches until well caramelized on both sides (we like lots of brown color); remove from pan and reserve fat.

3. Lower the heat to medium and in the same skillet, saute the onions in the rendered Kielbasa fat (my Kielbasa didn't render a lot of fat so I had to add a touch of olive oil to my pan), stirring frequently until they're translucent and begin to caramelize, about 15 minutes.

4. Add the minced garlic and stir for a minute, then add the tomatoes and return the sauteed kielbasa to the pan.

5. Simmer uncovered for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Serve over pasta.

Note

• Alternate slow cooker instructions (to feed a crowd, double the recipe):  place sauteed kielbasa, caramelized onions, garlic, and tomatoes in slow cooker; cook on high for 1 hour or low for 2-3 hours.  Stir in pasta just before serving.  Hint: I cook my pasta in advance, drizzle with a little olive oil and toss it well so each piece is coated, then let it cool completely and transfer it to a large zip-top bag until I need it.

Spicy Asian Beef and Noodles

I've never seen an Asian-style recipe call for ground beef before, but in this case it totally works.  I like to have the noodles soaked and the veggies chopped ahead of time so I can throw the dish together quickly on a busy weeknight.  Feel free to dial back the red pepper flakes if you don't like a lot of spice.  Also, don't be afraid of the peanut butter.  I made the recipe 3 times before my peanut butter-hating daughter found out, and that's only because I carelessly left the dirty measuring cup in the sink.  She loves the recipe and admitted that she couldn't taste the peanut butter at all.

Start by chopping the veggies - you need scallions, garlic, ginger, bell peppers, and shredded carrots (you can buy them already shredded).

You'll also need 8 ounces of rice noodles. I found these in the International section of the grocery store.

Soak the noodles in hot water for 10-15 minutes. Stir every now and then to make sure they don't stick together (do yourself a favor and use a larger soaking vessel than I did).

The noodles will be nice and flexible when they're done. You can make these days ahead of time - just toss with a little oil and store in a zip-top bag in the fridge.

Time to cook - saute the garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper flakes in oil. Be careful not to burn.

Add a pound of ground beef and cook thoroughly.

I find this nifty tool to be worth its weight in gold when cooking ground beef. It's called the Papered Chef mix and chop. A big shout out to my neighbor Denise for giving it to me - thanks Denise!!

Perfect!

Add the beef broth and soy sauce.

Then stir in the peanut butter.

Stir, stir, stir.

Add the carrots and bell peppers - they cook fast so we're almost done. In just a few minutes you can stir the noodles in to heat them through. Garnish with the sliced scallions and chopped peanuts if desired.

Yummo!

Enjoy!

This recipe works well with thin rice noodles too (also called rice vermicelli or rice sticks).

Spicy Asian Beef and Noodles

Serves 4

Printable Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons peanut or canola oil

• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• 3 cloves minced garlic

• 3 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

• 4 scallions, sliced (reserve green tops for garnish)

• 1 pound ground beef

• 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt

• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

• 1 cup beef broth

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

• 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

• 1/2 cup red or yellow bell pepper matchsticks

• 1/2 cup carrot matchsticks

• reserved green scallion tops, sliced

• 8 ounce softened rice noodles

• Optional garnish: chopped peanuts and/or toasted sesame seeds

Directions

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, saute oil, crushed red pepper flakes, garlic, ginger, and sliced scallions (whites) for about a minute.

2. Add the ground beef, sprinkle with salt and pepper.

3. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until beef is browned.

4. Add beef broth, soy sauce, and peanut butter; stir until combined.

5. Add bell peppers and carrots and saute until tender; 6-8 minutes.

6. Pour mixture over a bed of noodles.

7. Garnish with green scallion tops and optional chopped peanuts and sesame seeds if desired.

adapted from Laura's Lean Beef