During our trip to Monterey, CA in April to visit our older sister, we ate plenty of home cooked meals. Our sister can certainly cook too! One particular dish she made was exceptionally delicious. It had to be one of the best pasta dishes I’ve tasted. The sauce was savory, meat was tender, and the pasta was cheesy.

I was inspired to replicate the dish. I didn’t use the exact same ingredients as she did (she used Rigatoni pasta, string cheese, and wine in the sauce), but my pasta turned out rather amazing too. Next time, I’ll add red wine for an added, rich flavor.

Ingredients

• 1 box Rotini Pasta
• 1 package Chorizo sausage (approx. 5 links)
• Oil for frying
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2-3 garlic, peeled and crushed
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 small can tomato paste
• salt, red pepper flakes, Italian seasonings
• 8 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. First, I cooked one box of Rotini pasta and set aside.
2. While the pasta was boiling, I placed Chorizo sausages in a pan with about 3 teaspoon of water and allowed it to steam for about 5 minutes. I then removed the sausages and sliced them in bite size pieces.
3. The sausages were then deep fried until golden brown and placed in a bowl.
4. In a large saucepan, I heated chopped onions and garlic in olive oil.
5. Next, I added a large can of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, the fried sausages, some water, salt, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasonings. I allowed the sauce to simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes and then
6. I added the cooked pasta to the prepared sauce and mixed it all together.
7. I poured half of the pasta mix in a large pyrex oven pan, layered the pasta with shredded mozzarella cheese, and poured the remaining half on top.
8. A second layer of mozzarella cheese was added to the top. I then sprinkled the grated Parmesan cheese on top.
9. I covered the pan with foil and placed in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 25 minutes.
   

   finished dish