Our dear friend and honorary sister Ellen gave us this recipe a couple years ago, and we’ve both eaten it at her house in immoderate quantities. It’s that kind of dish–you can’t stop. It’s best with good Wisconsin-style brats, but use whatever spicy sausage you can find. Warning–this is not a low-fat food!
Combine in a large bowl:
Farfalle pasta, 2 pounds (cook to al dente)
Brats or other spicy sausage, 1 pound, cooked and cut into bite-size pieces
2 c. raisins (Ellen uses golden raisins, and they really are nicer, but the dark ones are good, too)
2 c. toasted walnuts (put them on a cookie sheet under the broiler for a few minutes, or put them in a dry sautée pan and stir continuously for a few minutes. Be careful–they burn fast!)
1 c. pesto
salt and pepper to taste
toss with grated parmesan cheese just before serving.
