Month 9 day 14: Manly rigatoni

Today I made:
Fire-Roasted Tomato and Hot Sausage 'n' Beef Rigatoni, Every Day with Rachael Ray October 2011

I got home late tonight, so I opted for one of the 30-minute Rachael Ray recipes. I think it took a bit longer, but was pretty close. This issue has a section of "guy food" that is very flavorful and hearty. No sexism intended, though-- Rachael is quoted that she doesn't run four miles a day to eat salads and pumpkin seeds!

Anyway, obviously there are faster pastas that could be made, but this was pretty good. The bell peppers are charred briefly under a broiler and then sit, covered, while other things are cooking until easy to peel. Sausage and ground beef are browned; seasoned with onion, garlic, and a FRESNO chili (holla!); and then doused in tomato paste, wine, fire-roasted diced tomatoes, and beef stock (but I just used water). The recipe says "gild the lilly with an extra drizzle of EVOO"-- I guess that's the manly touch?

Well, it turns out that Rachael does know what guys like, because G said it was delicious! I think it helped that it finished cooking just as he walked in the door. Who wouldn't love a hot meal waiting for you? It was tasty enough for seconds, but hearty enough that I regretted having a second bowl :-P I sometimes don't like roasted red peppers, but these were good-- maybe I just don't like the jarred ones. I expected this to be really spicy from the Fresno chili, but it wasn't at all... maybe it needs the seeds to be spicy. I have heard that these are spicier than some other peppers I'm more familiar with, but (despite my place of origin) have never used a Fresno chili before, so I was careful to deseed it lest it be too hot.