Week 4!

Hi everybody! Welcome to week 4 of cooking!

This week I had my brother pick which dish and he chose Chicken Sausage Cavatappi Bolognese with Zucchini and Parmesan. He was excited to finally have a dish that included Zucchini! He also loves sausage as it not only tastes good, but adds good protein.

This meal took about 5 minutes to prep and 30 minutes total to make. It was very simple, which I always love. What I loved the most was how fast it took to make because I had to leave right away for practice. Therefore, after I finished making dinner I put my portion in a to go container and ate it on the way! It tasted amazing and gave me a perfect amount of carbs and protein to have a good workout! Overall I would give it a 10/10.

The recipe is:

1. Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. • Trim and halve zucchini lengthwise; cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick half-moons. Halve, peel, and thinly slice onion.

2. Toss zucchini on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, half the Italian Seasoning (you’ll use the rest later), and a pinch of salt and pepper. • Roast on top rack, tossing halfway through, until browned and tender, 14-16 minutes. • Tent with foil to keep warm.

3. Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve 1½ cups pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain.

4. While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5-6 minutes. • Add sausage* and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 3-4 minutes (it’ll finish cooking in the next step).

5. Add tomato paste and remaining Italian Seasoning to pan. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute. • Stir in stock concentrate, 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water (1½ cups for 4 servings), and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer; cook until sauce is slightly thickened and sausage is cooked through, 2-3 minutes. • Reduce heat under pan to medium low.

6. Stir drained cavatappi, zucchini, sour cream, and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings) into pan until thoroughly combined. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in sauce. • Divide pasta between bowls. Sprinkle with Parmesan and serve.