Lazy Monday: Ode to Jarred Sauce

Lazy Monday: Ode to Jarred Sauce... The holiday season has commenced, and just like many of you out there I too traveled out of town last week - which meant my grocery shopping trip was a quick loop through TJs after work on Monday night (jumping off the bus a block before the door and timing my checkout to get me right on the next bus home, gotta love windy city livin'!). Anyway, I stocked up on some of the usuals - tuna, pork loin, chicken breasts, brussels, kale, broccoli, onions, sweet potatoes, yogurt, bananas bla bla bla. I got home after shopping and was in no mood to muss and fuss over making a big meal. I also figured I'd continue the gluttonous carbo load that had ensued the prior 5 days for just one more meal.

On the Menu:
TJ's Papardelle with Sausage Ragu & Haricot Vert

I had a jar of a Dahlicious looking Sausage Ragu from William Sonoma that was part of a pasta themed gift for my birthday and it seemed like the perfect thing to pair with a papardelle noodle. Papardelle is really one of my favorites (perhaps it also makes sense that in asian cooking I prefer wider flat rice noodles as well). There's just something about an al dente, wide, flat noodle clinging to a hearty sauce that is, for me, reminiscent of a hug. Comfort food you could say.

Anywho, I figured that if I was basing my dinner off of a pre-made sauce (of high quality at least!) that I would add a few fresh ingredients of my own. Enter chopped parsley and grated parmesan.

I poured about 1/3 of the jarred sauce in a pan over medium heat while the pasta cooked for approximately 5 minutes. Once the pasta was al dente, I fished it out of the pot, letting some of the starchy water cling to the noodles, and then tossed it in the now lightly bubbling sauce. Once it was nicely mixed I threw in a palm full of chopped fresh parsley as well as a little grated parmesan cheese. I gave it a toss and served it up with steamed haricot vert (pretty much just skinny green beans). I gave the greens a little squeeze of lemon and finished the pasta with a bit more parm and chopped parsley.

The meal was perfect for the Monday night I was having. It was hearty and filling, but the fresh parsley and the lemony greens gave it a light and healthful feel. I would highly recommend checking out this sauce.. I have two more to try and will report out on how Dahlicious they are too. Happy eating all!