Rao's Sausage, Cabbage, Tomato Sauce for the College Cook

I wrote about this recently cooked dish on my other blog. It is a perfect recipe for a great convenience item: packaged coleslaw mix. And, no, you don't need to use the brand-named items in the recipe.


1 lb. Rao’s Penne Pasta
1 jar of Rao’s Homemade Marinara Sauce
1/4 cup of Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled and mashed
1 pound Italian sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 pound savoy cabbage, cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces
Salt and Pepper to taste
Freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese (optional)

Heat Rao’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil and garlic in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add sausage, and sauté until meat is cooked.

Add cabbage, salt and pepper to taste, and sauté for an additional 1-2 minutes. Stir in 3 cups of Rao’s Marinara Sauce, and cook for 3-5 minutes, until flavors have blended.

Meanwhile, cook Rao’s Penne pasta in a large pot of rapidly boiling salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and return to the pot with ½ cup of sauce. Stir for one minute over high heat. Place on a serving platter and pour remaining sauce on top. Sprinkle with Pecorino Romano cheese, if desired.


It is easy and cheap--perfect for the College Cook. It has all major nutritional needs in a single dish. Also perfect for the College Cook. How can the College Cook--who doesn't want to make a mess--partake of this dish? Buy a package of shredded cabbage, aka cole slaw mix.

Well, I'm not sure you can do this in the rice cooker. So head on over to the dorm or a friend's kitchen with your two pots. Pot 1 is for the pasta. Use any shape.

Pot 2: Saute some sausage in your pot (no oil, since sausage will exude lots--you can spoon some out if too much), then add the package of coleslaw mix with a little garlic. When that's done, add a big can of tomatoes (of any kind). Stir for a while. When you think it's done, combine with pasta and top with grated cheese.

You got the shredded Italian cheese at Publix two weeks ago, didn't you?