Summer Squash Sausage Boats

Summer squash and tomatoes from the garden in this recipe. Brown Italian sausage with minced garlic. Add chopped fresh tomatoes and cook until liquid is reduced. Set aside to cool. Slice yellow summer squash length-wise and scoop out the seeds. Mix a little shredded Parmesan cheese and mozzarella with the sausage and tomatoes. Fill squash and bake at 325 degrees for about 15 minutes. Then run them under the broiler for a few minutes to crisp the tops. Of all the experiments with summer squash this year, this one is, so far, the best.

"The Dish"

Italian sausage and tomatoes in cream sauce over penne pasta. We simply call it "the dish." My friend first served it up a few years ago and it's a favorite. This is a variation of an Epicurious recipe.

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 medium onion thinly sliced

4 cloves of minced garlic

1 pound of Italian sausage - sweet, not hot, casings removed

1/2 cup of white wine - the drier the better

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

1 pound of penna pasta

1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Saute onions in olive oil until slightly brown, adding the garlic when the onions become translucent. Add sausage and crumble fine, I use a potato masher. I like to see a little caramelization on the bottom of the pan during this phase. Add wine and cook until liquid mostly evaporates. Add a can of tomatoes, liquid and all, and simmer until liquid reduces a bit. Add cream and simmer until sauce thickens. You can turn off the heat and let the sauce sit to help it thicken, too. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Cook and drain pasta. Warm up the sauce again if you turned it off. Serve sauce over pasta garnished with Parmesan cheese and parsley (chopped fresh or dried).