Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Smoked Mozzarella

Have you ever tried smoked mozzarella cheese? It’s sort of like a mozzarella version of gouda. I had never encountered it until my father used it in a recipe he got from a local butcher shop.

This is the recipe, with lots of changes from the original which called for three times as much cheese. We found with this cheese that, unlike regular mozzarella which is quite mild in flavor, a little smoked mozzarella goes a long way.

We’ve made this several times; it now makes a regular appearance in my parent’s home because it’s quick, filling, and tasty. It also makes terrific leftovers.

Pasta with Turkey Sausage and Smoked Mozzarella Recipe

Turkey sausage is rather lean. If you use regular pork sausage, cook it up first, then discard the rendered fat and use the residual fat in the pan to cook the onions and garlic.

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 14-ounce cans crushed tomatoes or whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 pound Italian turkey sausage, bulk or cut into 1/2-inch slices*
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 3/4 pound fusilli pasta
• Salt
• 3 ounces smoked Mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

*If you put the sausage in the freezer first for a half hour, it will be easier to slice.

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