Penne Pasta with Spicy Tomato Sauce & Italian Sausage

Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add the olive oil. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and sauté for 1 minute to release the garlic’s fragrance. Add 1 Tbs. of the parsley and cook for a few seconds, then add the tomatoes, including 2 1/2 cans of the juice. Increase the heat to medium-high and simmer briskly, stirring often, until the tomatoes break down and form a medium-thick sauce, about 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low simmer.

In the mean time, heat a medium sauce pan or skillet, then add 1 Tbs. olive oil, add Italian Sausage that has been removed from its casing and broken into bite size bits. Cook over medium heat until browned. When fully cooked, drained and rinsed, add the sausage to the pasta sauce towards the end of its cooking time. Deglaze the sausage pan by placing a bit of the reserved tomato juice in it, stir, and add to sauce mixture.

Bring a large pot three-fourths full of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 12 minutes or according to the package. Drain the pasta. Return the pasta to the warm pot. Add the pasta sauce and toss. Add 1/4 cup of the Reggiano Parmesan cheese and toss again. Divide among warmed pasta bowls. Top each portion with equal amounts of the remaining 1/4 cup cheese and the remaining 1 Tbs. parsley. Serve immediately.