Smith Meadows sausage pan sauce with our fresh noodles and a winter vegetable salad

Have you ever found yourself staring into the fridge wondering what to do with all that Smith Meadows sausage and fresh pasta? One of my favourite things is making a simple pan sauce from the sausage and tossing it with whichever variety of noodles Nancy made that week. This week it was pork sage sausage (our newest addition!) and spelt and oat pasta (which we have every week).

Fresh spelt and oat noodlesYou can make any number of variations to this recipe, including tossing in some greens with the pasta as it boils or other veg (carrots, brussels sprouts, greens, peppers…) with the onions and sausage. Using a broth to deglaze the pan will give you a nice simple sauce flavor to complement the herb sausages (add some fresh herbs of your own!) or you can try using a beer with our kielbasa or bratwurst. Cooking will emphasize the flavours of the beer so go for something malty rather than hoppy.

I’m also including a recipe for a Warm Winter Vegetable Salad below, because it’s really easy and will go with the noodles! Plus it’s Whole 30 compatible.

Smith Meadows sausages sauteing with onionsSausage and pan sauce over fresh noodles (2 moderate servings)

  • 2 tbl butter
  • 1 large onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 Smith Meadows sausages
  • 10 ounces broth (veg, chicken, or turkey) or beer, like a lager
  • 1/2 package fresh Smith Meadows noodles
  1. In a large heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, melt the butter and sauté the onions over medium heat until translucent
  2. Add the sausage to the pan and brown on each side for a few minutes (add some heartier veg here if you choose)
  3. Pour your liquid of choice over the sausage and onions, scraping the bottom of the pan a bit. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until liquid is reduced, about 25 minutes, until it’s more sauce-like and a bit thickened. (add greens here if cooking with sausage)
  4. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to a boil for the pasta.
  5. When your sausage liquid is reduced to a reasonable amount to coat the pasta with, drop the noodles (and greens, if you like them more wilted) into the boiling water, stir, and cook for 2 minutes. Drain noodles in a colander and place in serving dish(es).
  6. Place sausages on the noodles and pour the pan sauce and onions over everything. Toss to coat and serve with a salad if you didn’t add vegetables while cooking!

Potatoes, carrots and brussels sprouts

Warm Winter Vegetable Salad (2 servings)

Thanks to Martha Stewart for the original recipe! This dressing mellows with a little age, and it makes enough to last for several days. Having tried cooking the veg by boiling and steaming I’d recommend steaming, which retains more nutrients and uses less water.

Vegetables:
  • 1 pint Brussels sprouts
  • 2 cups of chopped carrots
  • 1 med red potato or sweet potato to equal about 1 cup chopped
  • Substitute and add any veg you like! Cauliflower? Broccoli? Squash?
  • 2 scallions, chopped
Dressing (1.5 cups):
  • 1 Smith Meadows egg
  • 2 tbl dijon mustard
  • 3 tbl cider vinegar
  • 1 tbl celery seed (I used coriander, ground with a mortar and pestle)
  • 3/4 cup olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  1. Combine the egg, mustard, vinegar and celery/coriander in a mixing bowl. While whisking constantly (the whisk attachment on my immersion blender is great for this) slowly add the oil until the dressing is thick. Salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Boil enough water to cover vegetables or to work with your preferred steaming method.
  3. Clean and chop your vegetables and add them in order of cooking time- potatoes first, then carrots, Brussels sprouts at the last minute so they stay crunchy!
  4. Drain and place the vegetables in your serving dish(es) and pour as much dressing as you like over it. Save any extra in the fridge for up to a week. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve!

That’s it! Both of these recipes are very versatile, easy to adjust for size and flavor. Check out what we’ll have at market this weekend here! What are your favorite sausage and pasta combinations?

Smith Meadows sausage and pasta with pan sauce and Winter Vegetable Salad