What's For Dinner Wednesday: Shortcut Pepperoni & Tomato Pasta

I love a good shortcut recipe. And to be honest, I don't post nearly enough of them here. Most of my recipe posts are meticulously planned out, (hopefully) made at a time of day with great lighting so I can photograph them, and are plated with extra care to ensure that you only see the best of what I'm cooking. But every once in a while there is a real gem that's really easy and I think you need to know about those... for the nights you need to get dinner on the table fast!

This dinner came up on a whim after Alex and I returned from a recent vacation. We stopped at the store to grab a few quick essentials and something easy to make for dinner that night while we unpacked. Alex wanted pasta and demanded that it include meat, while I wanted something that was flavorful and easy to put together. So, I found some rustic thick cut pepperoni in near the gourmet cheeses and picked up some fresh mozzarella and roasted tomatoes from the olive bar. That's basically everything you need (along with some pantry staple dried herbs) to make a fast, filling, flavorful dinner.

The flavors in this pasta are so wonderful. It's like a really good quality pepperoni pizza became a bowl of pasta. The key is letting the pepperoni saute so that the oils render out and are used to heat the tomatoes and coat the pasta. Fresh mozzarella is the perfect finisher-- mild and slightly melty. And let's be honest, the perfect companion for pepperoni and tomatoes. Just like you'd get on your favorite pizza.

This pasta comes together so quickly. It's perfect for a busy weeknight!


Ingredients:

• 8 oz. fettucine, or similar long flat pasta
• 6 oz. thick sliced pepperoni, diced
• 8 oz. roasted tomatoes *I found mine at the Mariano's Olive Bar. You can make your own with this great recipe from my friend Kit at The Kittchen too!
• 1/2 tsp. dry Italian seasoning
• 1/3 cup fresh mozzarella ciliegine *These are small mozzarella balls. You could also use a large ball of cheese and dice it smaller

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add pepperoni to the pan and saute for 6-8 minutes, until pepperoni slightly crisps up and oils begin to render in the pan.

Add tomatoes and Italian seasoning to pepperoni in the pan and stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium low and continue to cook until tomatoes are heated through.

Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. When pasta is 1 minute away from completely cooking, transfer directly from the pot into the pepperoni mixture. Fold into the pepperoni and tomatoes until combined.

Serve hot in bowls and top with fresh mozzarella.