Jayni's rigatoni and italian sausage

4 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
1poundsItalian sausage; cut in 1\" pieces*
2tablespoonsOlive oil
1Onion; large, coarsely chopped
1Bell pepper; large, coarsely chopped
3Cloves garlic; minced
1can(12-oz.) tomato paste
1can(16-oz.) diced tomato
1cupWater
¼teaspoonCrushed red pepper (or more to taste)
1teaspoonSalt
teaspoonPepper
1Bay leaf
1poundsRigatoni (pasta)
2tablespoonsButter (or margarine); softened
Shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In heavy dutch oven, brown sausage pieces in olive oil.

2. Remove sausage and add onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender.

3. Return sausage to pot and add remaining ingredients (except for rigatoni).

4. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer.

5. Cook, uncovered, for 1-½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

6. When sauce is nearly done, cook rigatoni in salted boiling water to al dente perfection. Drain.

7. Toss pasta lightly with butter, then serve with sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serving Ideas : Accompany with tossed salad and crusty bread NOTES : I don't remember where I got this recipe originally, but I've been making this dish for at least 30 years, and have made enough revisions that I now consider it my own. The sauce is one of the best tomato-based Italian sauces I've ever

tasted. I usually remove the casing from the sausage. I used to always use Hillshire Farm Hot, but they made it much hotter a while back, and I now use sweet.

Recipe by: Jayni Mosher

Posted to TNT - Prodigy's Recipe Exchange Newsletter by poobery@... on Sep 20, 1997