Italian Sausage and Pasta
By: Sevgi
Published: Friday, January 17, 2014 - 4:48pm

Ingredients




1 lb. Gemelli Pasta (or any pasta with ridges)
*1 lb. Spicy Italian Sausage (can use mild or sweet sausage)
*1 Medium Onion, Chopped
*1 15oz. Can Crushed Tomatoes
*3 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
*Salt and Pepper to Taste
*Optional: Red Pepper Flakes

Preparation

1 Boil water for the pasta. Cook according to the package. Drain pasta. While the pasta is cooking,add the olive oil in a large sauce pan or skillet. Add the chopped onions and cook on low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. The onions should start to soften and look more transparent. Make sure to not cook on high heat as you do not want the onions to caramelize. Chop the sausage, about 1/2 inch in thickness. Add them to the same pan and continue to cook with the onions until the sausage browns. Add the can of crushed tomatoes, along with the water. Add salt and pepper to taste. 2 *Simmer for about 20 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld. 3 *To serve, plate the sauce mixture on top of the pasta. You can add additional heat to the dish by adding a few red pepper flakes and/ or some Parmesan Cheese. Lastly, chop up some parsley and place on top of the sauce.

About

This is one of my original recipes using Italian sausage and Rotini pasta. The original recipe used Gemelli, but any pasta with ridges will work. The recipe also calls for hot Italian sausage, but you can use any type of sausage for this dish.