Presto Pasta Night: Gemelli with Sweet Sausage and Spinach

I never knew "pasta" existed while I was growing up.  I grew up eating noodles, macaroni, spaghetti, and canned ravioli, but no one ever called them pasta.  My mother hated buying the canned Chef Boyardee, but I would plead for it relentlessly.  By the time I was in my 20's, I learned there was a huge variety of pasta, in different shapes and sizes.  When Bob and I eloped and were married at a small Justice of The Peace in Indiana, our celebratory meal afterwards was at a small Italian restaurant where I had moscacholli, and he ordered Spaghetti a la Caruso.  Frankly, I haven't seen moscacholli on any menu for years, but I have fond memories of it's tubular shape.

I still have a tendency to stand transfixed in the pasta aisle, looking at all the different shapes.  A well stocked pasta section is downright intoxicating to me.  The shapes delight the eye, and it's fun to discover which one tastes the best.  One of my favorites is gemelli, which looks like little pieces of twisted rope to me.  In this very fast and delicious recipe,  it's combined with sweet Italian sausage, grape tomatoes, onions and fresh spinach. It a very simple dish to prepare, but it has big flavor and is the type of comfort food that makes you feel that all is right in the world.  It's the perfect dish for Presto Pasta Night, which is the brainchild of the lovely Ruth at Once Upon A Feast.  Head over to her site on Friday and you will find other terrific pasta dishes from bloggers around the world.

Gemelli with Sweet Sausage and Spinach

(Food & Wine)

SERVES: 4

INGREDIENTS

1 pound gemelli or penne
Salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
1 pound sweet Italian sausages, casings removed
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
About 2 cups coarsely chopped baby spinach (4-5 ounces)
1/2 pint red grape tomatoes
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

DIRECTIONS

In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the gemelli until just al dente. Drain the gemelli, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.

Meanwhile, in a large, deep skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onion and garlic and cook over moderately high heat, stirring, until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the sausage and crushed red pepper and cook, breaking up the meat with the back of a spoon, until no trace of pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook just until softened, about 2 minutes.

Add the gemelli and the reserved cooking water to the skillet and cook over moderate heat, lightly crushing the tomatoes, until heated through, about 2 minutes; season with salt. Transfer the pasta to bowls, sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

Comments

[gattina]

I totally feel for you being transfixed at pasta aisle! Please don't laugh at me, I would value a certain shapes of pasta as much as new-arrival or limited-edition of handbag :) :) Many years back bucatini (like a straw shape spaghetti) wasn't popular but I fond of it so much, I search at catalogue and looked for it at dozens stores... And this gemelli is one of my favorite! The sauce/ flavored oil just clings on it, love it!

[kristi]

As an Italian girl, I grew up inhaling macaroni (in my family, we've never called it "pasta"), so I'm familiar with a wide variety of different shapes and sizes. My all-time favorite, though, has got to be my great aunt's homemade gnocchi. Yum. But I do like gemelli as well. This dish looks delicious!

[Lisa (Homesick Texan)]

That's funny, we never called it pasta either, it was spaghetti (which until I was about 16 was the only shape I'd ever seen!)

[Kalyn]

I'd have to switch to Dreamfields pasta, but this is something I'd love to have for dinner!

[mandira]

Such lovely dishes, I am blown away by the yummy culinary creations. It's funny, I always call it pasta, not spaghetti. Also, Happy 100th WCB.

[Byunghoon Kim]

In fact, I also never know about pasta until 21.
Nowadays, I like eat pasta very much and I want to cook pasta by myself! :)

[Butta Buns]

Love the story about about you and Bob getting married and your first 'legal' meal! I'm all for no fuss elopements.

[Katie]

I love seeing all the spinach recipes! The pasta looks good to...When I get back my spinach should be ready to thin - meaning I'll have lots of baby spinach. I wonder if the grape tomatoes will be ready? Hmmmm

[anne]

I love your recipes. I am sending a sheaf of them to my mom for mother's day - my parents are not vegetarians, and I'm sure they would love those I am sending. The recipes I'm sending focus on your seafood and occasionally poultry dishes, and always on your veggie dishes.

Thank you for such a beautiful site, and thank you for the recipes I will be sending to my mom. Your photography continues to be mouth-watering!

[Callipygia]

When I first traveled to Italy, we thought all pasta was the same and my instructor (an ex-pat) told us that each shape in fact tasted different. Years later, I see that he was correct!

[Tanna]

I remember moscacholli on Italian menus in St Louis back in the 60's & 70's! Yep that far back. But like you I haven't seen it in years. Love the sausage and spinach together!

[Kristen]

That is one gorgeous looking pasta dish!

[Lannae]

I love that curly shaped pasta you cooked with! I also have a stash of the chef (boyardee) in my pantry. *grin*

[Glenna]

I do the same thing on pasta aisles. I thought it was only me. I also very much get into my pasta shape selection at any Italian restaurant. It has to be the perfect shape with the perfect toppings and sauce for my mood. My husband thinks i'm nuts but I think you guys would understand.

[Ruth]

Great story, great dish. I love all types of pasta. Like you, growing up there were limited options: spaghetti, lasagna and farfalle. Although I didn't call it that until I was an adult. It was bow ties and served with kasha as a side dish for brisket. Very delicious, but not really thought of as pasta in my house.

Thanks for another great Presto Pasta Night dish!

[Freya]

What an unusual new shape! Just when you think you've seen them all, along comes another one!
By the way, what is sweet sausage?

[Jennifer]

Ooh I LOVE gemelli. I love fat roly poly pastas. Sometimes I'll eat them with a little bit of sauce alone. This looks so delicious- my poor family is waning on cereal, sandwiches and eggs this week due to my sickness. (hey I didn't want to breathe in their food!)

[Sue (coffeepot)]

Doesn't "pasta" sound exotic?

I love the way the word rolls off the tounge...pasta.

This looks wonderful.

[Willa]

When I was growing up it was spaghetti, macaroni, lasagna or the catch-all noodles. When we lived in St. Louis 10 years ago, every wedding or group picnic featured (what I thought was spelled)mostacholli- but I agree with you all, you don't see it on menus, just at catered events, or pot lucks.

Darn, now I am hungry...