Carrabbas Imitation Night. Please remember to tip your bartender and cooks :)

Carrabbas rocks, we like it better then olive garden but I have the same basic problem with both places...It hurts my heart to pay $11 for spaghetti or $17 for chicken parm knowing what I know. You see I used to work in an Italian kitchen, I made many spag balls (spaghetti and meatballs), chik parms (Chicken Parmesan), La (Lasanaga), and many other classics. I can tell you that the spg ball takes all of 30 seconds to throw together. (speggetti is cooked just needs a bath in hot water, sauce is made by the gallon and sits in the warmer, meatballs were made that morning and sit in the warmer) Fire Spag ball!.. drop the pasta, 30 secs, out, on the plate, two meat balls, ladle of sauce, spag ball in the window! Want that with suasage, same process....

So with that in mind we decided to rip off...i mean take inspiration form a Carrabbas favorite, Cavatappi (I added sausage because sausage makes me smile)

5 Mild Italian Sausages

1lbs Cavatappi

1/4 C Ollive oil

1 small sweet onion, finely chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 280z can diced tomatoes

slat and pepper to taste

Nice and easy one, get all your pans ready, a large pot for boiling pasta, a large skillet for the sauce, a med skillet for the sausages. I usually get the sauce started first just because it taste better the longer it simmers but if your in a time crunch you can multi task.

For the sauce, heat the skillet over med-high heat. Add oil. When it begins to shimmer add the onions, cook down until translucent (don't let them brown, lower the heat if needed). Add the garlic, cook 1-2 mins (until fragrant). Add the diced tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to med-low and simmer.

In the med sauce pan add about 1 inch of water and the sausage. Heat over med-high heat and cook the sausages through (about 15- 20 mins, water should evaporate by then) When the water evaporates add a little olive oil and brown the outside of the links. Once brown add then to he sauce to hang out.

Boil water, add a generous amount of salt, cook pasta until al dente

Plate up: pasta, sasuage, sauce then top with fresh grated parm cheese. One Saus Cav in the window!

Enjoy!