Welcome back to Patch's Tavern. This week’s delicious recipe, Kielbasa Pasta, is perfect for a quick meal for those busy weeknights. The recipe is simple and savory.

Kiełbasa is sausage from Poland. Though in Polish “kielbasa” simply means “sausage,” in English, kielbasa refers to a particular genre of Polish sausage. Kielbasa comes in pork, beef, turkey and lower-calorie varieties that normally are sold in U-shaped lengths, or half-rings, which somewhat resemble large, thick hot dogs. Several types of fully cooked kielbasa are available at local markets, such as Whole Foods and Giant.

I was really impressed with the flavor of this simple pasta dish with very little prep time. You can add red or green peppers, red pepper flakes, basil or mushrooms. I used angel hair pasta, but you can choose your own favorite pasta. I would suggest you not add any salt until the end, to ensure it is not too salty. Tweak it to your liking.  This recipe reheats up very well too… enjoy!

Happy cooking and eating!

Ingredients

• 1 (12-16 ounce) package Polish or Polska kielbasa, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 jar favorite spaghetti/marinara sauce
• 1 tsp fresh oregano
• parmesan cheese, grated (optional)
• 1 package favorite pasta

Preparation

Cook pasta, follow package directions.

Slice kielbasa into 1-inch pieces. Put onion, garlic and kielbasa in large frying pan. Cook until onion is tender and almost transparent. Stir in sauce, and oregano. Simmer 10 minutes. Serve over pasta and sprinkle parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty Italian bread and your favorite salad.