Bucatini with Turkey Kielbasa and Yellow Squash

Oh, how I love my bucatini.

It's never at my local supermarket, so I usually have to drive to another place or two to find it. But it's always worth the extra trip. There's just something so deliciously fun about eating thicker noodles, and wondering how in the world they were able to make that signature hole down the middle of each and every one.

What I loved most about this recipe was the absolute simplicity. You make the pasta, cook up some kielbasa, chop and cook up some beautiful vegetables, add some seasonings and cheese, and you're done.

Just like that.

This dish was light and fresh. It had just the right amount of veggies, meat, and grains without a thick sauce to overwhelm the plate. The original recipe called for turkey sausage, but they were fresh out of it on my grocery run. So I settled for one of my husband's favorites: kielbasa. It's like a giant sausage that you can easily slice up and cook in a EVOO-drizzled pan. Ryan loves the smoky taste, but I think he's mostly fond of yelling "kielbasa!!" when he sees it. Also, instead of using both zucchini and squash, I figured the squash was the lesser of the two evils in the blondie household (according to the men, that is). I love mixing the two, but figured the Manchild would be more likely to eat something that wasn't green. I cheated and switched one of the olive oil amounts to butter. Worth it. While I was tasting the vegetable mixture while it was cooking, I thought it needed way more salt, but didn't want to overdo it. Thankfully, the salty parmesan addition at the end tied everything together.

You may have noticed, the sun beat me to the finish, and I had to take the photo with artificial light (a HUGE no-no in my book). So that's why the photo looks like death. Lesson learned, once again.

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Bucatini with Turkey Kielbasa and Yellow Squash

Ingredients:
12 oz bucatini pasta
1 T EVOO
1 T butter (or you can use EVOO)
1 lb turkey kielbasa or Italian-style turkey sausage links
3 small summer squash or zucchini
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper
1/2 C grated parmesan, plus more for sprinkling
1/4 C fresh oregano or parsley

Method:
1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water' drain the pasta and return it to the pot.
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add kielbasa and cook, flipping when bottoms are slightly browned, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm.
3. Reduce heat under pan to medium, and add butter to melt. Add the squash, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook, tossing occasionally, until veggies are tender and golden. Turn head down to medium low if pan begins to darken.
4. Toss the pasta with the vegetable mix, fresh herbs, and kielbasa. Mix in 1/4 cup reserved cooking water (add more if desired) and add 1/2 cup of parmesan. Serve with additional parmesan.

Recipe source: Real Simple