Penne with Sausage, Peppers and Onions

We made this dish the other night, because Aaron's favorite dish at Olive Garden is Sausage and Peppers Rustica, and this is very similar to that, so I thought he would enjoy it.  And he did.  I used turkey sausage like the recipe said, so for 10 servings, each serving was only 291 calories without the Parmesan cheese on top.  This came together quickly, and we all enjoyed it, all of us gave it an 8.  I found the recipe in Giada de Laurentiis's Everyday Pasta cookbook.

 

 

 

Rigatoni with Sausage, Peppers, and Onions

¼ c extra-virgin olive oil

1 lb sweet Italian turkey sausages

2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and sliced

2 yellow onions, sliced

1 t salt

1 t pepper

4 garlic cloves, chopped

½ t dried oregano

½ c chopped fresh basil

2 T tomato paste

1 c Marsala wine

1 14.5 oz can diced tomatoes, with juice

¼ t crushed red pepper flakes, optional

1 lb rigatoni pasta

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausages and cook until brown on all sides, 7-10 minutes.  Remove the sausages from the pan.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the bell peppers, onions, salt and pepper and cook until golden, 5 minutes.  Add the garlic, oregano, and basil and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and stir until incorporated, then add the wine, tomatoes with their juice, and red pepper flakes, if using.  Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the brown bits.  Bring to a simmer.  Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each.  Return the sausages to the pan.  Simmer uncovered until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

While the sauce simmers, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes.  Drain the pasta and add to the thickened sauce; toss to combine.  Spoon into individual bowls and sprinkle each serving with Parmesan cheese.