My Homemade Linguine Alfredo with Spicy Sausage

Happy New Year, everyone!  Most of the posts in this blog have been automotive in nature, so I'm going to make a New Year's resolution to focus more on the "chow" and "so much more" end of things in 2013.  As can be guessed by the title of this post, I am about to explain how I make my homemade linguine Alfredo with spicy sausage.

Ingredients:

6 links spicy Italian sausage
Half of a package (about 7 oz) of linguine (I use whole wheat pasta but any kind would work.)
2 cups of light cream
1 cup of finely grated Parmesan cheese
Half of a stick of butter or margarine
Pepper, garlic salt, and whichever other spices you like

1.  If the sausage is frozen, place it in a casserole dish filled with half of an inch of water, and nuke it for four minutes to thaw and kill any bacteria.  Reduce this time to one minute, with an eighth inch of water if the sausage is not frozen.

2.  Bring a large pot of water to a boil on maximum heat.

3.  Melt the butter or margarine in a medium saucepan on maximum heat.

4.  Reduce heat to medium and add the light cream to the margarine.  Add pepper, garlic salt, etc., and stir for a couple minutes.  Increase heat to about 60%.

5.  Place about a quarter inch of water in a frying pan and add the sausage.  Cover and cook on about 40%, or leave uncovered and cook on about 75%.

6.  Cover the light cream/butter/spice mixture.  Let it come to a soft boil.

7.  By now, the water should be boiling.  Add the pasta to the water.  Stir as soon as the pasta is soft enough to be completely submerged in the water.  After a minute or so of stirring, cover and reduce to approximately 75% heat, or leave uncovered at 90% heat.  Leaving it any hotter will cause it to overflow; I know this from experience.  If it looks like it will overflow, reduce the heat and/or stir it.

8.  Add the Parmesan to the Alfredo sauce.  Be sure to stir constantly as you do this so the cheese doesn't gum up the bottom of the pan as opposed to blending in.  Add another dollop of pepper.  Stir for a few minutes or until the cheese looks to be blended with the cream mixture.  Cover and let it sit at 50% heat.

9.  Turn the sausage links.  Let them cook a bit longer.

10.  Slice the sausage into bite-sized, well, bites.  Uncover the pan, turn the heat to 80%, and let the remainder of water boil off so the sausage can "crisp" a bit.

11.  Stir the Alfredo sauce for another minute.  If it's frothing at the top and you can see only the slightest hint of Parmesan on the spoon, congratulations, you've nailed it!

12.  Kill the heat on the sausage and Alfredo burners.

13.  Drain the pasta, and return it to the pot.  Reduce the heat on this burner to a low simmer.

14.  QUICKLY add the Alfredo sauce, stirring it well so the pasta is completely coated.  Add the sausage in a similar manner and mix thoroughly.

15.  Cook a frozen vegetable so you can counteract the fatty goodness that is linguine Alfredo with spicy sausage.  Or don't.  You DID use LIGHT cream after all.

This should easily feed a group of four or five, or provide one person with a few days' worth of leftovers.  Freeze whatever you don't re-heat within a few days.

Enjoy!