My Stomach Is Full And My Wallet Is Too By Mažena Germanovič

It’s that time again! Time to settle in for the semester and really hit the books… But don’t let food take the back burner. You need to keep yourself nourished and full ofenergy to make it through those classes, study sessions, and probably a part-time job too. I know it’s easier to just stop and grab some fast food, or how when you’re totally stressed nothing sounds better than take-out pizza, but I promise you, a home cooked meal will take you much further. So, I decided to write down my favorite recipe for college students to help those who are still working through those difficult years. What makes a recipe good for students? It needs to be easy, filling, totally tasty, good as leftovers, or a good way to squeeze in some vegetables. “One pot sausage and mushroom pasta” is a perfect example of a simple and budget friendly dish for college students. It’s so nice to just cook everything in one pot and have less to wash, especially when you don’t have a dishwasher, like me. Not to mention they’re super quick and cooking the pasta in the sauce/broth just adds so much flavor.

Let’s start from ingredients. You’ll need:

  •  2 Tbsp of olive oil
  •  2-3 Italian sausages or whatever sausages you have in your fridge
  •  2 cloves of garlic
  •  1 small onion
  •  1 pack of mushrooms
  •  1 can of crushed tomatoes
  •  a dash of salt and pepper
  •  1 tsp of dried basil (optional)
  •  1 tsp of dried oregano (optional)
  •  4 cups of vegetable broth
  •  parmesan (depends on how much
  • you like cheese)
  •  handful of fresh parsley (optional)

Let the cooking begin! First, you add the olive oil and sausages to a large pot and cook over medium heat until they are browned on the outside and firm enough to slice into rounds. Remove the sausage from the pot with tongs, slice into rounds, then return them to the pot and cook for a few minutes more, or until fully browned. While the sausage is cooking, (slice or mince ?) the garlic and (slice or dice ?) the onion (depending on how big you want your pieces). Slice the mushrooms too. Once the sausages are browned, add the crushed tomatoes, onion, garlic, mushrooms, salt, pepper, basil, and oregano to the pot. Stir to combine and to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Then add the vegetable broth and pasta, then stir to combine. Place a lid on the pot, turn the heat up to high, and
bring it to a rapid boil. As soon as it reaches a full boil, give it a stir, replace the lid, turn the heat down to low. Let the pot simmer on low for 15 minutes. Stir it every five minutes or so while it’s simmering. Make sure it’s simmering the whole time. If it is not, turn the heat up slightly. After 15 minutes of simmering, the pasta should be tender and most of the liquid should be absorbed. If there is still too much liquid, let it simmer without a lid for a couple more minutes. Stir in the parmesan and top with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. If you want to make it a little more special, you can try adding in some other fun ingredients like: black olives, spinach, roasted red peppers, or a splash of cream to turn it into a creamy red sauce. The sky’s the limit, so have fun!