The Perfect Sunday Supper

Maybe it’s the Jersey girl in me (I was born in Summit but moved to Philadelphia at 2 years-old) but when I think of Sunday supper, I think pasta. Warm, hearty, carb-y… Something satisfying. Something that substantiates. And tastes great.

Enter Emeril. Bam.

One of my top five meals ever was at his restaurant in New Orleans. I still dream about it.

My friend recommended his Pappardelle with Sweet and Hot Sausage Ragu. She said it was on her husband’s must list.

I trust him, I trust her and love a recipe that’s labeled “easy” so this one was a no brainer.

I made a few tweaks. No pancetta. While we love it, we were having a bit too much of it lately so I cut it out. I also substituted the pappardelle for whole wheat rigatoni.

I hit up Whole Foods’ Severino homemade pasta bar about once a week. It’s varied, it’s authentic and, best of all, there’s some whole grain options. Why go white when you can go wheat? It’s such a simple swap and makes all the difference.

To carry on the slightly healthier vibe, I decided to pair it with a basic but beautiful kale salad. Short on ingredients (kale, walnuts, pecorino, lemon), not on flavor.

The leafy, rough-chop kale mixed with the crunchy nuts and soft cheese provide a variety of textures that play well off one another. As for flavor, the tartness of the lemon, saltiness of the pecorino, bitterness of the greens and the rich, buttery nuts balance each other beautifully. When paired with a sweet and spicy pasta dish and a nice bodied red wine, well, I think it just might be the perfect meal. Finish it off with some dark chocolate and you’ve hit it out of the park. A Jersey one, natch!

Swaps: whole wheat pasta, skipped the pancetta.

Suggestions: Pair with a kale, lemon and pecorino salad.

Grade: A