Fettucini with Italian Sausage and Peppers

There is nothing revolutionary about this dish, but it's easy, quick and good. Here is the way I do it...

Fettucini with Italian Sausage and Peppers

2 tbsp. + 1/4-1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

1 lb. Italian sausage--loose pack if you can find it, otherwise sliced or removed from link casings and crumbled (hot or mild)

4 Cubanelle or Hungarian Wax peppers, cut into small pieces (depending on the level of 'heat' you'd like; the Cubanelles are a little milder in my opinion)

1 lb. fettucini

salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan or Romano cheese to sprinkle after cooking

Boil a pot of water and cook pasta as directed. As the water boils/pasta cooks, heat 2 tbsp. olive oil and garlic over medium-high heat. Allow garlic to just start to brown, and add sausage. Cook until done. Add pepper chunksand stir together. Saute until peppers are JUST done (don't let it all get mushy and colorless). Add enough olive oil to skillet to make this into a good 'sauce' for your pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drain pasta and toss with sauce. Add cheese to taste and serve!

**my dad likes to add crushed red pepper flakes to this recipe

Chili Verde

Chili Verde
adapted from Cooking Light recipe by Melissa Saville Murray
serves 6

1 tbls vegetable cooking oil
12 ounces Goya Mojo Criollo marinade (found in Mexican/Latin American food section)
2 – 1 pound boneless pork tenderloins, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 cups chopped onion
2 pounds tomatillos, husks and stems removed and quartered
4 poblano peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
8 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 chipotle in adobo pepper, finely chopped (found in Mexican/Latin American food section)
3 cups water – use 1 can beer as part of water
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 + teaspoon cumin
1 + teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt (kosher)
½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Marinate pork cubes in marinade, preferable overnight. Heat vegetable oil in large stock pot over medium-high heat. Add pork; sauté for 5 minutes or until meat is browned on all sides. Add onions, tomatillos, poblano peppers and garlic to same stockpot; sauté for 5 to 8 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add pork and all remaining ingredients to stock pot; stir and bring to a simmer. Lower heat to low-medium and allow mixture to cook for 2 hours until pork is tender. Stirring occasionally.