Death by Garlic

I love garlic.  My boyfriend, however, is nuts for it and has been known to eat so much of it that the smell was seeping from his pores.  When I found the Death by Garlic recipe, I knew it would be a hit with him.  Upon looking at it further, I decided the recipe needed to beefed up a bit.  The base recipe was pasta, oil, a bit of cheese, and garlic.  I decided to add smoked sausage and pepperoni to make it heartier.  I also not only added more minced garlic, but added whole cloves and used a garlic infused olive oil.  The result burned my eyes while cooking, but the taste was worth it!

Death by Garlic (Original Recipe)

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup garlic infused extra virgin olive oil
• 15 cloves garlic, minced
• 15 cloves garlic, whole
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon bourbon barrel smoked black pepper ( Bourbon Barrel Foods )
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Garlic Herb Blend (I use Kitchen Stories )
• 1 small red cayenne pepper chopped, seeds included
• 1 pound smoked turkey sausage, sliced
• 1/2 cup turkey pepperoni
• 1/2 pound dry rotini pasta (or other pasta type)
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

 Directions:

1. Heat the oil and garlic over low to medium low heat until minced garlic starts to turn golden.
2. Add sliced sausage and pepperoni.  Stir to ensure that the garlic doesn't burn and that the meat gets coated in oil and starts heating up.
3. Cook rotini according to instructions. Drain when done and put to the side.
4. Add the chopped cayenne pepper, seasonings, and cheese. Stir well and simmer about 5 to 10 minutes keeping an eye on the garlic.  When the garlic cloves appear to be soft, then remove from heat.
5. Toss the garlic and meat mixture with the pasta in a large bowl or pot so that the pasta is well covered in the mixture.

Serves 4