Ingredients:
- 1 package Italian sausage, 5 or 6 sausages total 1 lb (450g)
- penne pasta
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1 small red onion, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste
- 4 large ripe tomatoes, diced
- 2 tablespoons crushed tomato
- 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable or chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed chili pepper
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed in a mortar
- 1 scallion, sliced, for garnish
- Fresh chopped basil, for garnish
Preparation:
- Cook pasta according to package directions, until al dente.
- Drain and set aside.
- Heat a bit of oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add sausages and cook until browned on all sides. - You can add 1/4 cup (60ml) of water so they don’t blacken and stick to the pan.
- When the sausages are almost cooked, transfer to a cutting board.
- In the same skillet (remove water but keep the brown bits), add 1 tablespoon oil and sauté onions with crushed fennel seeds, crushed chili pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning.
- Add the garlic, ground tomato and continue to sauté for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
- Then add bell pepper and diced tomatoes and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Stir in broth and cook for another minute or so.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Slice sausage into 1/4 or 1/2-inch pieces and add back to the skillet with other ingredients.
- Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, until sausage is cooked through and sauce is thickened.
- Add pasta to the skillet and reheat for a couple of minutes, stirring gently to coat the pasta with the sauce.
- Garnish the sausage pasta skillet with basil, chopped scallion, and parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
Notes:
- I ended up making a bunch of small substitutions based on what I had on hand.