Spaghetti With Sausage And Peppers

Valentine's Day. I cleaned the bathroom (thank you, Linda). I made pasta from scratch — fettuccine, because it's forgiving and wide enough to hold sauce and impressive-looking even when it's slightly uneven. The sauce was a slow-cooked Bolognese that I started at noon: ground beef and pork, onion, carrot, celery, tomato paste, red wine, a splash of milk for richness. It simmered for four hours. The apartment smelled like Italy by way of Bay View.

I set the table — and by "table" I mean the small folding table in the living room because the kitchen table is covered in brewing notes and Megan's grading. I bought candles. I put on music — not too romantic, just some jazz playlist that felt appropriate. I changed my shirt three times. We have been dating for ten months. I should not still be nervous. I am still nervous.

Megan arrived (from the bedroom, because she basically lives here) wearing a dress she'd been hiding in the closet. Her hair was down. She looked at the table and the candles and the wine and said, "Jake Kowalski. You are full of surprises." I said, "I clean up okay." She said, "The bathroom looks great." Linda told her. Of course Linda told her.

We ate pasta and drank wine and talked about nothing and everything — the kids in her class, the beers I'm working on, whether we should get a houseplant (her yes, me maybe), whether the Packers should trade up in the draft (her surprisingly passionate opinion, me impressed). After dinner I gave her a necklace — a small silver pendant with an initial M. She gave me a engraved bottle opener that says "The Pierogi Guy." We are not subtle people. We are happy people.

She stayed the night. She stays every night. We should probably talk about this. About the drawer situation. About the toothbrush situation. About the fact that her lease is up in April. We should probably talk about a lot of things. But tonight we ate pasta and that was enough.

The Bolognese I made that night took four hours, and I’m not going to pretend everyone has four hours on a Tuesday. But that slow-cooked, meat-and-wine depth — that feeling of pasta that tastes like it was made with actual intention — that’s achievable on any night, even a weeknight, even when your kitchen table is buried in brewing notes and someone else’s grading. This spaghetti with sausage and peppers hits the same notes: savory, a little bold, the kind of thing that fills an apartment with a smell that says someone in here gives a damn. If you’re trying to set a mood — or just trying to have a good dinner — this is where I’d start.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 35 min | Total Time: 50 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz spaghetti
1 lb Italian sausage (sweet or hot), casings removed
1 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
2 tbsp olive oil
Salt and black pepper to taste
Fresh basil or flat-leaf parsley, for serving
Grated Parmesan, for serving

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Brown the sausage. Heat olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until browned and cooked through, about 7–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving drippings in the pan.
Saute the vegetables. In the same skillet, add onion and bell peppers. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes and cook 1 minute more.
Deglaze and build the sauce. Pour in the red wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce by half, about 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes and return the sausage to the pan. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.
Finish the dish. Add the drained spaghetti to the sauce and toss to coat, adding a splash of reserved pasta water to loosen if needed. Cook together for 1–2 minutes so the pasta absorbs some of the sauce.
Serve. Divide among bowls and top with fresh basil or parsley and a generous handful of grated Parmesan. Light a candle if you have one.

Nutrition (per serving)

Spaghetti With Sausage And Peppers — The Valentine’s Day I Finally Cleaned the Bathroom