Fast. Easy. Delicious.
There are weeknights when dinner needs to be fast, forgiving, and a little bit scrappy — the kind of cooking that feels like you’re getting away with something. This pasta recipe was exactly that. A quick, rustic, almost–puttanesca situation that came together with ingredients on hand… plus a few lazy shortcuts that made it even better.
And yes: there was a dog nearby. Supervising.
Start with the Basics
All great weeknight pasta sauces start the same way: olive oil, heat, and Italian sausage hitting the pan.
Herbs fresh from the garden? Snip, tie, toss in. No fresh herbs? No problem — dried works perfectly. Don’t want to chop? Don’t. This is lazy cooking at its finest.
Canned tomatoes from the pantry simmered into a thick, chunky base. A mix of pitted green Castelvetrano olives and pitted Kalamata olives brought that briny, puttanesca-adjacent punch.
While the sauce bubbled, the pasta simmered, and Texas toast went into the oven (on-hand ingredients: bread slices, butter, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt). Winter lettuce was on hand, too, so with a chopped tomato and some chives and a cucumber, there was salad. And dinner was done except for the serving.
Worth-It Tips
Pasta Water
A scoop of starchy pasta water went straight into the sauce to bring everything together.
A Splash of Wine
This recipe improves if you add the wine you’re drinking. So a splash went in (no judgement on the size – chef’s choice) of the local Italian-style red we opened for the night.
Fall Pasta and Wine Pairing
The pairing? A Washington red Italian varietal mix – “Super Italian” from Bartholomew – grapes grown here in Washington wine country.
Tasty, a bit spicy, and perfect for a sunny fall-to-winter day when there was not a lot of energy left for cooking.
And not to worry – the supervisor got a final bite at the end of the meal, rewarding all of his hard work.
Past Pairings
Pico de Gallo and Wine Pairing – Why Not?
Homemade Mac and Cheese with Washington Chardonnay
What Makes a Great Pizza? (plus pair it with rosé)
Relax with Simple Spaghetti and Washington Sangiovese
Comfort Food: Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup, and a Washington Syrah (but try the alternate version with jalapeno!)
Leftovers Supreme Crunch Wrap and a Washington Petit Verdot
Jambalaya and a Washington Cabernet Sauvignon
Cashew Chicken and a Washington Red Blend
Mushroom Puff Pastry Pizza and Washington Sauvignon Blanc
Cheese and Charcuterie Edition
ICYMI: More ABR Wine and Food Pairings
And don’t worry. We’re spending the rest of our time finalizing everything needed to actually bring you these small production Washington wines. Soon, you can try them along with us.