What I Ate: Pasta with Sausage & Arugula

I normally like to have a minimal amount of words in my 'what I ate' posts. However, today's is a bit different. It's a 'what I ate' because I didn't do a full on photo diary. However, I wanted to share the recipe because it was such a success. I didn't really know what I was doing when I started this pasta dish, but by the end, I was just throwing in a bit of this, a bit of that, and then I ended up with this awesome pot of deliciousness. It was so delicious that I think each of us went in for seconds, then thirds, and my sister went in for a fourth.

I'm not sharing my usual step-by-step, but if you scroll to the bottom, I have a recipe page for you.

Ingredients [serves 4 to 6]:
1 lb. pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon crushed pepper flakes
½ onion, diced
½ bell pepper, diced
4 oz. mushrooms, sliced
2 anchovy fillets
1 lb. Italian sausage (I used a mix of hot and sweet)
4 oz. tomato paste
1 cup chicken stock
½ cup milk
salt to taste
2 oz. parmesan rind, chopped
¼ cup pickled cherry peppers + juices
2 cups baby arugula
¼ cup + ¼ cup grated parmesan

This pasta is super decadent, but also kind of light. I think that the sauce base (which is comprised of tomato paste, stock, and milk) gives it a velvety texture that feels rich but not heavy. I also love that it's got all the food groups represented in one pot and though it's a meal on its own, a bright and fresh salad is a nice accompaniment. I personally crave the crunch of lettuce when I'm eating a pasta dish.

This is also the perfect dish for making on a weekday when you're not in the mood to do a whole lot. I mean, I dirtied up two pots - one for boiling the pasta and the other for the sauce - and then I dirtied up a third bowl to make a salad. Also, the leftovers are great for lunch the next day which is my favorite aspect.

Here's the recipe page: