Penne with Andouille Sausage and Peppers

 I was thinking last night that it might be literally since January that I've made a full meal for other people. Between budget meetings, wine club, birthdays and my husband working nights, I've settled into a sad routine of frozen turkey burgers for one. I don't have an earth-shattering recipe to share today, but it's a meal-for-one that is a) easy and b) doesn't feel pathetically sad: penne pasta with andouille sausage and peppers.

I've taken to making double the serving of penne lately and saving half of it for later in the week, which makes this a quick and easy dish to whip together. I start by slicing up an andouille sausage (I bought mine at Trader Joe's) and frying the slices in olive oil. I put a little more than a tablespoon in there because the oil + meat juices is going to form the base of your sauce for the pasta.

 Trader Joe's sells awesome frozen fire-roasted peppers and onions, which have become a staple in my freezer. But tons of other brands sell comparable frozen peppers you could buy if you don't have a Trader's.

Once the sausage was cooked on both sides, I added frozen peppers and onions and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

 Then, I sprinkled this Cajun seasoning over the mixture and added a teensy bit more olive oil. As the frozen veggies thaw, they'll also add a little water to the mixture, so you really start to create a sauce.

Once the peppers and onions were cooked, I added the refrigerated penne and tossed until it was coated in the cajun-y olive oil mixture.

Et voila! It's easy, tasty, SPICY (andouille sausage is no joke) and for extra healthiness, I used the Barilla Plus pasta. We're not changing the world over here, but it is a recipe you can pull together out of ingredients that don't go bad within 5 days of purchase, and THAT'S worth a post alone.