The night before Christmas, my sister, Abs (who’d just had a baby a month earlier, mind you), insisted on whipping up a home cooked meal for the rest of the family. Forget the fact that she was planning to roast two ducks and a ham the next day! <br /> <br />She said we were having pasta, vowing that she had a tried-and-true recipe that was even easier than going through the "hassle of picking something up." I was convinced she was just being a good hostess. But then I watched her prepare the pasta -- linguine and sweet Italian sausage enveloped in a savory, unctuous sauce of garlic, stock and white wine, finished with a little butter -- and was impressed not only by how deftly and speedily she pulled it all together, but by the flavor punch packed by this simple dish. <br /> <br />A few weeks ago, I had a go at it myself, subbing in hot sausage for some of the sweet and adding a handful of fresh broccoli for color and crunch. My husband and I gobbled it up, and now I have my sister to thank for what's definitely earned a regular spot in our dinner rotation.

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