Sausage-pea casserole is one of my favorite meals. I made a few modifications from the original recipe One-pot Shells with Peas and Sausage in “The Complete Cookbook for Young Scientists.” If you want to follow the original recipe, add a small, chopped onion, and 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sausage before browning. I also felt that the name was too long, so I just started calling it sausage-pea casserole even though it is not technically a casserole.
I have only ever made this meal with pork sausage or brats from our pigs. However, the original recipe called for sweet Italian sausage. So, I feel that any sausage will probably work. You can even use brats or sausage links; just remove the casings.
Sometimes I also just add a little extra chicken broth and use the entire box of noodles, and add some additional peas, but that is entirely optional. It does work quite well though; this recipe is very easy to modify and experiment with. The chicken broth does not have to be pre-made, either, I have made this recipe many times using broth made from powdered chicken broth mixed into boiling water.
This casserole is so good. My entire family enjoys it. It cooks up in one pot, or Dutch oven, making cleanup much easier. The pork provides the protein, the noodles the base, and the peas and lemon juice lighten it up. The Parmesan — well, Parmesan makes everything better; especially BelGioioso Parmesan, which is one of my favorites.
Rustic breadsticks are a new family favorite. I just took a white bread recipe from “The New Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day” book and made the dough into breadsticks. The original recipe was larger. However, I realize that not everyone has a large family, so I cut the recipe in half for this column. If you want to make a larger batch, just double the recipe.
You can top the breadsticks any way you like. I did just melted butter and poppy seeds when I entered these breadsticks in the fair, and they were delicious. However, the second time I made these, I mixed garlic powder into the melted butter to add a little flavor. I like adding poppy seeds for a little crunch, not for flavor purposes. Toppings are totally optional; almost anything will work.
These breadsticks are delicious. They are soft and fluffy. I call them rustic breadsticks because, as long as you’re not entering them in the fair, it really doesn’t matter what they look like. In my opinion, as long as they taste good, they are just fine.
Francesca Ullmer, the second child of a large homeschooled family, is from the Krakow area. She enjoys baking, reading, knitting, raising goats, and entering numerous items in the Oconto County Fair.
SAUSAGE-PEA CASSEROLE
1 lb. pork sausage
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup plus 3 1/2 cups chicken broth
4 1/2 cups medium pasta shells (12 ounces)
2 cups frozen peas
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2-3 tsp. lemon juice
Add sausage, salt, and pepper to a Dutch oven. Use a wooden spoon to break sausage into small pieces. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, and continuing to break up sausage until sausage is lightly browned and dark brown bits have formed on bottom of pot, 10-12 min. Carefully add 1/2 cup of chicken broth and use a wooden spoon to scrape up browned bits on bottom of pot. Cook until liquid has mostly evaporated, about 2 minutes. Stir in pasta and remaining 3 1/2 cups chicken broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover pot with lid. Cook until pasta is tender, 10-12 minutes. Some liquid will remain in pot. Turn off heat. Add the peas, Parmesan, and lemon juice. Use wooden spoon to stir vigorously for 1 minute. Let sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes, to allow peas to warm through and sauce to thicken slightly. Sauce will continue to thicken as pasta cools. Serve with extra Parmesan cheese, if desired.
RUSTIC BREADSTICKS
1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 tbsp. yeast
1/2 to 1 tbsp. salt
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
3 1/2 cups flour
Pour the water in a bowl and sprinkle the yeast gently on the surface. Mix in the salt, sugar, and slightly cooled, melted butter. Add the flour and mix until no traces of flour remain. Cover loosely with plastic wrap, and let it rest until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), about 2 hours. Scrape dough onto a flour dusted surface and divide into balls. Shape balls into breadsticks. Place on lightly greased, or parchment covered, baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 to 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Brush breadsticks with melted butter and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Bake until the bottoms of the breadsticks are golden brown, approximately 10 minutes. Dab baked breadsticks with more melted butter if desired.
