WATCH: The Channel Cooking At Home, Ep. 2

‘Be liberal with [adding parmesan cheese],’ says CRN’s Gina Narcisi.

CRNtv is expanding its new food-related segment to include everyone in the channel, including CRN’s own Gina Narcisi. Hear Narcisi talk about what it’s like reporting amid the coronavirus outbreak, while sharing a go-to dinner recipe: creamy sausage and veggie pasta.

This freestyle dish is meant to work with what you got in your kitchen and it’s easy to substitute ingredients.

A fun meme that I think puts it into perspective, while cooking in quarantine: Cooking at home is like the show Chopped; You’ve got frozen meatballs, brown sugar, pringles, ketchup and peanut butter; What’s for dinner?!

A look at the finished product!

INGREDIENTS

Serves two people

2 cups rigatoni pasta

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup onions, diced

shredded cabbage

7 oz sausage, sliced

1 dollop of Greek yogurt

Parmesan cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

First add garlic and onions to the pan with some olive oil.

Cook onions until translucent, 3-to-4 minutes.

Season with salt and pepper, then add sausage.

After sausage is cooked, set aside.

Now add shredded cabbage or any choice of veggie to the same pan with some olive oil.

Season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3-to-4 minutes until wilted.

Meanwhile, fill large pot about 3/4 with water, add salt and bring to boil.

Stir in pasta and cook for 10-to-12 minutes.

Sauce:

So the secret here is to keep the pasta water.

Add about 1 cup of pasta water to pan.

Add back in cooked cabbage and sausage.

Then add a dollop of Greek yogurt or substitute with sour cream, or cream cheese.

Then add parmesan cheese — you can be liberal with the cheese here — while mixing everything together.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

And to spice it up, garnish with some red pepper flakes.