They say art imitates life, but sometimes I think it’s the other way around. The brushstrokes aren’t on canvas, they’re on my kitchen counter; splashes of tomato, streaks of olive oil, a swirl of garlic butter melting into bread. Some people are brought to life in front of a painting. Me? It happens at the stove.

The other night, I stood over a pot of simmering tomatoes and roasted peppers, smashing them with the back of a wooden spoon. The steam curled up like brushstrokes, the sauce thickened into something warm and red and alive. It felt less like cooking and more like creating; like music, like poetry, like a love letter.

It made me think of tomatoes themselves. When they were first brought to Europe, they weren’t eaten at all. They were considered dangerous, even poisonous, so people used them as decor; bold, glossy ornaments sitting pretty on tabletops, admired but untouched. Imagine that. Something so full of flavor, life, and possibility, mistaken for poison. Art, waiting to be tasted.

Sometimes I wonder if that’s true for us too, the parts of ourselves we set on a shelf, afraid they’re too much, not safe to bring to the table.

Roasted Red Pepper & Sausage Spaghetti
with Garlic Butter Bread

What You Will Need

• 1 head garlic
• 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 1 stick unsalted butter (½ cup), softened
• ⅓ cup diced red onion (about ½ small)
• 2 roasted garlic cloves (reserved from above)
• 1 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 8–10 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 jar roasted red peppers, drained and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 12 oz roasted red pepper & garlic chicken sausage
• 1 lb spaghetti noodles
• Grated Parmesan for serving (optional)
• French bread (or bread of choice)

What You Will Need To Do:

1. Roast the Garlic: Preheat oven to 400°F. Slice the top ¼ inch off 1 head of garlic, drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil, wrap in foil (leaving the top exposed), and roast 45 minutes until golden. Squeeze out cloves. Mash most into ½ cup softened butter; reserve 2–3 cloves for sauce.
2. Make the Sauce: Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add ⅓ cup diced onion; cook 8–10 minutes until soft. Stir in 2 roasted garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper; cook 1 minute. Add 8–10 quartered tomatoes, cook 5 minutes until softened. Stir in 2 tbsp tomato paste and 1 cup chicken stock. Add roasted red peppers, 3 bay leaves, 2 tbsp basil, 1 tbsp parsley, and 1 tsp oregano. Simmer uncovered 20–30 minutes, stirring and smashing tomatoes.
3. Cook the Sausage: Brown 12 oz sausage in a skillet until golden, 8 minutes. Slice or crumble, then stir into sauce. Discard bay leaves. Adjust seasoning.
4. Cook the Pasta: Boil 1 lb spaghetti noodles until al dente, 9–11 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, drain, and toss noodles with sauce. Add pasta water as needed.
5. Garlic Butter Bread: Spread roasted garlic butter on sliced bread. Bake at 400°F for 10–15 minutes until golden.
6. Serve: Plate spaghetti, top with fresh basil or Parmesan. Serve with garlic bread for dipping.

Art brings me to life when it’s tangible, edible, and messy. When it drips off the spoon, stains my apron, and makes me pause long enough to notice. The act of cooking isn’t separate from art — it is art. It’s a reminder that creation doesn’t have to hang on a wall. Sometimes it can sit steaming in a bowl, waiting to be savored. So today, I’ll ask you: what type of art brings you to life? Is it music, painting, gardening, cooking? And just as important — are there parts of yourself you’ve set aside like those tomatoes on the table, waiting to be picked up and used for the purpose they were meant for?

Maybe the most radical hospitality we can offer ourselves is to take our art off the shelf and put it to work; to taste it, live it, let it nourish us.

Gracefully yours,

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Reference
Niequist, S. (2024). Celebrate Every Day. Zondervan.