The taster loves it when I make pasta and often watches over me when I’m adding the pasta to the salted, bubbling water. “One more handful,” he’ll request and I must, although shamelessly, admit that I usually add one more handful for him.

The only redeeming factor we have is that we add every vegetable possible to the pasta. The thought process is that if we are eating a bit more pasta than we should, at least it is full of vegetables.

Originally this recipe came from Martha’s Everyday Food and my friends who have raved about it for quite some time now. Even with my best intentions of keeping it to peppers and sausage, my parents sent me home with leeks fresh from their garden, we had a 5 pound bag of red onions to use, and I think you can see where this is going. Before I knew it there were more vegetables than pasta and that thought process (ridiculous or not) of the vegetable to pasta ratio comes right into play.

Pepper & Sausage Pasta - 2-3 servings

Heat large pan over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Add chicken sausages, cooking until lightly browned. Set aside.

Add olive oil to pan and when hot add leeks and onion, cooking for about 2 minutes. Add in peppers and cook an additional 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. Stir in spinach, sausage and pasta to pepper mixture and toss until spinach has wilted.

Grate Parmesan over top if desired.

A restaurant that has been on the list for about a year now. (Yes, I have lists for restaurants to visit and recipes to try) But I will certainly not be waiting another year to go back.

It has the feel of an old school Wisconsin supper club, complete with cans of beer on the wall, Packer posters and a Friday Night Fish Fry. Except it is the first LEED-CI registered restaurant in Minnesota, the food is hip and it is located in NorthEast Minneapolis. The Red Stag strives to use local, organic ingredients and also conserve resources and compost waste.

truffled kettle corn – I knew this was something I would have to try, it was perfect and I will get it every-time I go back

old fashioned – “a little flat, not a lot of booze” ~ Taster

mac & cheese – with lobster and grilled leek, explains itself. Rich, decadent, delicious.

alaskan rock fish fried basket – very different batter than I’ve had in WI, in a good way

braised kale with olive oil and lemon zest – this meal clearly needed some greens, but these were more than just that, I’ll be making it at home