Sausage and Stuffing Criss-Cross Pastry

I got this recipe from a coworker, who found it on a blog, reposted from Pepperidge Farm.  I definitely modified this from the original, and I tend to use it as a weekend brunch.  It's touted as a good holiday side, and it certainly was a hit when I made it with Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners in the past, but there's no reason to restrict this to holiday fare!  It's really very similar to a sausage pastie, which is recognized (smartly so) as an anytime food.

Ingredients

• 1/2 of a 17.3-oz pkg. Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed*
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 1 teaspoon dried)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 lb bulk pork sausage
• 1 cup Pepperidge Farm Herb Seasoned Stuffing
• 1 small onion, chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 tablespoon garlic butter (to make your own, stir a couple shakes of garlic powder into 1 1/2 tablespoons of melted butter)

*It is very easy to double this recipe, making two at once so that you use both pastry sheets and the full 1 lb tube of sausage.  You can make the second one (just skip the egg wash and putting in the oven), wrap in wax paper and aluminum foil, and freeze in a gallon freezer bag.  Just thaw out and bake at a later date.

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Beat 1 egg and the water in a small bowl with a fork or whisk and set aside.
2. Mix the sausage, cheese, parsley, stuffing, remaining egg, and onion in a large bowl.
3. Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface.  Cut slits 1 inch apart from the outer edge to the fold mark on each side of the pastry sheet.
4. Spoon the sausage mixture down the center of the pastry and shape to evenly fill.
5. Starting at one end, fold the pastry strips over the sausage mixture, alternating sides, to cover the mixture completely.
6. Cover a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.
7. Place the pastry on the prepared baking sheet, and brush with the egg wash.
8. Bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the sausage is cooked through.
9. Brush with garlic butter and let the pastry cool on the baking sheet on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Pasta with Sausage and Peppers

I really love Martha Stewart's Great Food Fast cookbook.  I've made just about every recipe in it and they've almost all been fantastic.  This one in particular has been a staple dish in my house for the last couple years.  I made it tonight and my son even went for seconds.  That's high praise.  So here's my modified version of the recipe.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 medium red bell pepper, sliced

1 medium yellow bell pepper, sliced

1/2 lb (1/2 box) orecchiette or other short pasta (I always use the orecchiette)

Salt

1 tsp olive oil (optional)

1 lb ground sausage

1/4 cup water reserved from pasta water

1/2 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

1/6 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (plus more for garnish)

Serves 6

Directions

1. Set a large pot of salted water to boil.  When the water boils, add the pasta and cook  according to package directions.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat a large frying pan at medium heat.  If desired, add oil.  Cook the sausage, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned (7-10 minutes).  Add the peppers and cook 3-4 more minutes until heated through.
3. When the pasta is cooked, measure out 1/4 cup of water from the pot and set aside. Drain the pasta and transfer to a large bowl.  When the meat and peppers are cooked, also drain.  In the large bowl, mix the pasta, sausage mixture, butter, Parmesan, and as much of the reserved pasta water as you want to get a light saucy texture.  Season with salt and pepper if desired (I don't).  Top with freshly grated Parmesan.