A day fit for...... PASTA!

Back to feeding the soul again, as well as my belly. Comfort food to fill the gaping place my lunch would have gone, had it ever happened. Real, uncompromising flavor to bolster a tired teacher.

Today was busy and challenging, with both high and low points.

High points.... I saw some genuine heart in some of the students today. Work done right.... thoughts thoughts.... it was energizing at times!

Low points..... I identified at least a dozen today who can't read a ruler. I mean.... 'This is an inch... so show me where one half an inch is...' Nope..... 'Taint happening. DAMN! How did they make it to be seniors?!? They'll have rulers down in a week, and micrometers to boot, by the time we are done with them.

Another low point.... My first student suspension starts tomorrow, for ten days. Doing drugs on the school bus............... Sigh. I told the kid.... I'll support him and believe in him, but he has to make it in the door clean every day.


So... arriving home after a middling hard day..... maybe my mood can be understood. I wanted something easy to build, and soul satisfying.
Perusing the larder and fridge for volunteers, a picture began to assemble.Half an onion...... two Italian sausage links..... tomatoes on the vine outside..... some Fusili pasta...... and the plan solidified.

Salted water on to boil, with a pat of butter melting across the surface, I warmed an iron skillet. Into the hot pan went a big slab of butter and the onion, diced. While it browned and caramelized, the sausage was sliced, and followed the onion to the pan shortly after. Layers of flavor building, now a handful of baby Roma tomatoes were diced, to enter the pan as the sausage browned. As soon as the tomatoes heated through and started coming apart, the fire was shut down.

Now, fresh spicy oregano, picked moments ago, was chopped and mixed into the pan, along with a few cloves of minced garlic. A pinch of kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper, a faint dash of red pepper flakes, and then the mixture was covered and allowed to blend while the pasta cooked.

Fusili just barely done and tender, it's drained off and plated right away. From the pan came the sauteed onions, sausage, and tomatoes with all the herbs and spices..... piled right in the center of the pasta.

Sprinkled with dried parsley..... and all is well with the world.

There is just something special about a plate of perfect pasta, layered with succulent sausage. Fresh picked tomatoes and onions, sauteed to perfection, and flavored with herbs grown only feet away from the stove.

It reminds me of good times, eating with my best friend and his family.... times when the biggest worry was whose truck to take hunting the next day.

Sigh..............