From the Kitchen of....

Need a quick and easy idea for dinner?  Loretta Torres, a friend who is a Master Gardener and an amazing cook, emailed this recipe to me.  It sounded so good, I had to share it with you. Should you decide to make it, give me call!  I'll be at your house for dinner AND I'll bring a salad!

Enjoy!

Loretta's Loaded Pasta Sauce

Ingredients:

Loretta, Cook Extraordinaire!

1 lb ground round

1 medium hot Italian sausage crumbled (remove casing)

3 cloves chopped garlic

1 medium carrot sliced thin

1/2 cup salsa

1 pint chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup dry red wine (optional)

1 TBS fresh basil

1/2 large red pepper, chopped

1 small onion

1 small zucchini, sliced & halved

salt & pepper to taste

1/2 lb penne pasta

Directions:

Saute ground round with sausage and garlic till browned. Add carrot, salsa, tomatoes, basil, and salt & pepper. If too thick, add 1/2 cup water. cook 20 minutes.  While cooking, put water to boil for pasta. Once boiling, add pasta to cook. Add red pepper, onion, zucchini to meat mixture.  Cook till pasta is done (12-14 minutes).

Notes from chef Loretta:  Total time for cooking and prep was about 30 minutes. "I made the sauce a bit thin so it was more summery with lots of flavor. This was a perfect amount for two hungry people but if you added a salad, it would be good for three or four."

Notes from Laura: Over half of the items used in this recipe can be found at your local growers' market!  If you shopped the markets in Valencia County, you'd be able to meet Loretta there! Nothing tastes better than produce right from a local garden and keeping your dollars in your community.