My friend and go-to photographer, Lauren LaPlante, asked me during our most recent photo session (where she took the picture of my About Me page) what food I make when I’m trying to impress my guests. It’s a fantastic question, I’m going to use it every time I encounter a food blogger.

This dish is what I immediately thought of, though it’s not really impressive. It’s actually simple, and it’s incredibly tasty. But when I want very little fuss in the kitchen so I can focus on cleaning the house, this is what I make. For this reason, it’s possible that I’ve made it more times than any other dish. Off the top of my head, I’ve made it for my aunt and uncle, Adam’s family, my family and two different sets of friends. It usually goes over well, but are people really going to tell you if they hate your food? Not the people I know.

If you’re reviewing the recipe and thinking, gee whiz, this is the second recipe she’s posted this month containing a ton of cream (the other being Chicken Tikka Masala), is everyone in her family three hundred pounds?! No, but I guess we should be. I use cream, cheese and butter regularly in my recipes, as you’ve probably noticed, and we eat fatty meats like sausage, pork, chicken thighs and rib-eye. I don’t shy away from fried food, either, as you’ve seen from my Potstickers recipe, as well as the Steak Frites and Bang Bang Shrimp. Part of the reason we’re not huge is genes, surely. Adam has taught me some portion control, though he still noted that I eat more than him the other day (honey, you know you’re not supposed to say that to a lady, even if it’s true). And I suppose I am sort of active chasing my kids around, and I always intend to exercise.

My philosophy is that food should be prepared with love, shared with friends and thoroughly enjoyed. I believe that carbolicious, caloric foods are awesome in moderation. That said, I find that fresh fruit and vegetables are excellent snacks and should accompany every meal in abundance. I don’t always photograph food the way that I serve my family because it detracts attention from the featured recipe, so just keep that in mind as you’re perusing my site.

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Italian Sausage Pasta

Ingredients

8 Ounces of Bowtie Pasta

1 Pound of Italian Sausage (Either Mild or Spicy)

1 14 Ounce Can of Diced Tomatoes, Well-Drained

1 Teaspoon of Italian Seasoning (or Oregano, or Basil)

1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder

1/2 Salt

1 Cup Heavy Cream

1/4 Cup Fresh Parmesan Cheese, Plus More for Serving

Method

Cook the pasta in boiling water to desired doneness.

Meanwhile, cook the sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink.

If the sausage renders a lot of oil, drain it before proceeding.

Add the drained tomatoes, seasoning, garlic powder, salt and cream and bring to a boil, stirring well.

Lower the heat and simmer for ten minutes until slightly thickened.

Drain the cooked pasta and add to the sauce.

Mix in the fresh Parmesan.

Serve.

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This recipe was originally found on South Your Mouth.