Nixon's Pasta

Foodtalk contributor Miss Capri's Chef adapted this recipe from a dish his mother used to make. He says this version was invented "the day Tricky Dick went to the big Jell-O buffet in the sky."

Ingredients

• 1 small yellow onion, minced

• 5 or 6 cloves garlic, minced (or to taste)

• 1/2 stalk celery, minced

• 1 bay leaf

• olive oil

• 1 pound kielbasa or smoked sausage, cut into 3/4-inch bite-sized half moons

• 1/3 to 1/2 cup dry white wine

• rosemary

• oregano

• salt

• white pepper

• 1 sweet onion, chopped to 3/4-inch pieces and layers split

• 1 green bell pepper, chopped to 3/4-inch pieces

• 1 red bell pepper, chopped to 3/4-inch pieces

• 1 orange bell pepper, chopped to 3/4-inch pieces

• 1 pound linguine, vermicelli, or spaghetti, cooked al dente and drained

• 1/4 - 1/3 cup Romano cheese

Instructions

1. Sauté the small yellow onion, garlic, 1/2 stalk of celery, and bay leaf in enough olive oil to coat over medium heat. Stir constantly. As the mixture breaks down but before the garlic browns, add kielbasa or smoked sausage. Cook until the sausage is not cold.

2. Add the white wine to the pan and turn up the heat, stirring constantly until the wine has all but evaporated. At this point add seasoning to taste: rosemary, oregano, salt, and white pepper. Stir to incorporate.

3. While constantly stirring, add the sweet onion and pepper pieces. Stir-fry until the vegetables are tender crisp. Sprinkle the cheese over the mixture, remove from the heat, and toss with the cooked pasta.

Cook's notes: For the wine, the drier the better. Select a Portuguese Vino Verde or a bone dry chardonnay. Make this dish more of a budget stretcher by adding another stalk of celery, chopped, with the peppers and onion.