Once a month our mailbox is filled to the brim with bound pages of cooking tips and recipes. I lay each magazine on our kitchen counter, say eenie meeni miney mo, and retreat to a well-lit corner of the house to read one from cover to cover. I dog-ear the pages that inspire me, make plans to try one or two of the recipes that week, and stack the cooking magazine in my cooking magazine cupboard. There it will reside for months, maybe even years, shuffled back and forth as I return to utilize its wisdom, knowledge, and inspiration.

One of my favorite subscriptions is Everyday Food. I fell in love with its contributors when I was stuck at home recovering from a bum foot. I was sans cable at the time, but I did have a pair of trusty rabbit ears. I was limited to NBC, FOX, and KCTS. Every weekday at noon the cast of Everyday Food (the TV show) would share quick and easy recipes while my eyes stayed glued to the screen. For Christmas that year, my now husband gifted me a subscription to the magazine version of Everyday Food; I was speechless, overjoyed, bursting with OH MY GOSH THIS IS THE BEST PRESENT EVER; you would have thought I had won the lottery.

About a month ago while I was hunkered in my well-lit corner reading the latest subscription, I came across Whole Wheat Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Roasted Veggies. I was on a roasted vegetable kick so this recipe was calling my name. I got out my notepad and put together a shopping list; next step, schedule a cook date. Believe it or not, if I want to cook, I have to mark it on the calendar. My husband and I are busy bees. If I am not careful we could be out and about every night of the week. Simultaneously overdue for some quality time with Charlie’s brother and our close friend, we picked a date and extended an invitation for a dinner party. I crossed my fingers they liked chicken sausage and roasted eggplant.

Evening of, I pre-heated the oven, lined my baking sheet with aluminum foil, and chopped my vegetables into one-inch pieces. Laid out on the baking sheets, the vegetables received a healthy drizzle of olive oil, a few twists of the salt and pepper mill, and a sprig or two of thyme.

I added the chicken sausage to a sizzling hot pan and rotated them until each side was perfectly carmelized.

The sausage was sliced and tossed in with the fresh vegetables; all went into the oven. Meanwhile, I prepared the whole wheat pasta in boiling water seasoned with salt. Twenty five minutes later, the roasted vegetables were sweet and tender and the pasta just al dente, how I like it. Mixed together, they were a satisfying feast, perfect for a tossed together dinner party.

This fairly simple recipe (and so many more) keep me anxiously awaiting the inspirations my mailbox will hold next month.

Follow this link for the full recipe.