Farmer's Market Pasta

Floridians love their farmer’s markets and given the great weather down here they are held year-round. One of my favorite challenges is to create a dinner from scratch using ingredients available at the market that day. Here’s what I ended up making after a recent visit to the Sarasota Farmer’s Market!

Ingredients from the farmer's market for our farmer's market pasta - photo by Laurie Geis

Even though there are seasons in Florida (most folks don't seem to understand that seven months out of the year, the weather here is sublime with highs in the 70's and no humidity - it's the other five months that can be kind of hard to take!) one of the constants is the farmer’s markets that set up every weekend down here, regardless of the season. When my wife Laurie and I lived in the DC area we occasionally visited the local markets and they pretty much delivered as advertised – lots of stands with the freshest local vegetables and fruits and a few selling kettle corn and other items.

But here in Florida, I’ve noticed that calling these things “farmer’s markets” is a bit of a misnomer; the stands selling produce and the like are few and far between but there are always a few. Instead, the markets tend to be dominated by non-farmers selling fantastic barbeque, bagels, empanadas, pasta and other specialty foods along with arts and crafts.

The Saturday Sarasota Farmer’s Market is three blocks long and draws big crowds each weekend. Laurie and I recently visited the market and decided to search the stalls for ingredients we could use to create a new recipe for dinner that night – the result was a new favorite for us that we call “Farmer’s Market Pasta”. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Farmer’s Market Pasta (serves 3-4)

This is a simple weeknight pasta recipe that can be made in less than an hour. The trick here is using really good, jarred pasta sauce (we like Rao’s, The Meatball Shop, and Michael’s of Brooklyn) and fresh store-bought pasta to save time. Mixing in a bunch of fresh sauteed vegetables and Italian sausage creates a rich, chunky sauce to coat the pasta. Serve with a tossed salad and garlic bread along with a nice lighter Italian red wine like a Barbera d’Asti.

Ingredients

1/2 lb. bulk Italian or spicy Italian sausage

3 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 red pepper, chopped

1/2 yellow onion, chopped

6 small cremini mushrooms, quartered

1 large tomato, cored, seeded and chopped (any vine-ripened or Roma tomato will do)

24 oz. jarred pasta sauce

¼ tsp. crushed red pepper (more to taste)

1 tbsp. plus ½ tsp. kosher salt

½ tsp. fresh ground pepper

12 oz. fresh pasta (like linguini, spaghetti, or our favorite, bucatini)

Fresh grated parmesan cheese

Extra virgin olive oil, drizzled

Fresh basil, torn

Directions

Cook Italian sausage in a 12 in. non-stick skillet over medium high heat for 8-10 minutes until browned, breaking up sausage with back of spoon. Remove from skillet with slotted spoon to a paper-towel lined plate, leaving the fat in the pan.

In same pan, sauté red pepper, onion, and mushrooms over medium heat until softened and lightly browned, 6-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add tomatoes and pasta sauce to pan, along with crushed red pepper, ½ tsp. salt, pepper, and cooked sausage – stir to combine. Turn heat to medium low and simmer for 15 minutes.

While sauce is simmering, bring 4 quarts of water and 1 tbsp. kosher salt to a rolling boil and cook pasta according to instructions until al dente (translated that means “to the tooth”, and means cooking the pasta just until there’s a bit of resistance when you bite into it). Drain the pasta and serve in bowls with the pasta sauce. Finish with torn fresh basil, fresh grated parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of high-quality extra virgin olive oil on top.

Farmer's Market Pasta