Creamy Penne Pasta with Italian Sausage

This is one of those dishes that is great during the week as it’s quick and easy but doesn’t lack in flavor. The sauce reminds me of a tomato vodka cream sauce without the vodka! I can get this out in about 30 minutes. Serve this with french bread and a side salad and your set!

Ingredients

1 # Italian sausage links
1 Tbl of olive oil
2 Tbl of butter
1 medium onion diced
3 cloves of garlic crushed
1 tsp of sugar
(2) 14.5 oz of fire roasted diced tomatoes
3 Tbl of chopped fresh basil (or 1/2 Tbl dried basil)
3/4 cup + of shredded Asiago cheese (or Parmesan)
1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream
Salt and Pepper to taste
(1) 12 oz package of dry penne noodles

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Start a large pot of salty water to boil for noodles.

While water is getting ready to boil, place sausage links on a grill pan(or oven safe fry pan) on stove top over med-high heat until browned on both sides. Place pan in oven to finish off cooking about 10 minutes.

When pasta pot is boiling add noodles and prepare to package directions

Place a large sauce pan over med-high heat with a Tbl of olive oil. When oil is hot add onion and garlic and saute until onion is soft (about 3 minutes) Next add, diced tomatoes and sugar. Let simmer for 5 minutes. Next add cream, cheese, and basil. Reduce heat and continue to let simmer. Pull out sausage links and let cool for about 5 minutes. Slice sausage and toss into simmering sauce.(If sausage is still pink when slicing it’s OK, just keep in the simmering sauce for a few minutes until cooked through) Add salt and pepper to taste

When noodles are complete, rinse pasta off in cold water. Add pasta back to pot with 2 Tbls of butter mix well. Pour sauce into pasta pot and mix well to incorporate. Ladle pasta onto plate and top with more cheese. Pasta will not be as saucy as a spaghetti sauce so if you want it a bit more creamier add more cream!

Enjoy,

Jessi XOXOXOX