pasta – Make It and Bake It with Beth

Here is a new recipe for Make It and Bake It with Beth, one that was never to be seen on Bake It and Make It with Beth! I was actually surprised that this recipe was not on the old blog. I had bought some italian sausage the other day, and I was craving this recipe last night. I started searching on the old blog, and I realized that I had never posted this recipe, even though it is one that we really enjoy in our home. Not only is this a good and satisfying meal, it is also pretty easy to make. This pasta dish has a creamy red sauce and lots of tasty pieces of italian sausage. I was running low on Parmesan cheese, so I barely used any at all, and so this ingredient is now totally optional! Greg had over three servings of this pasta dish last night!

You can add in fresh basil if you have it, too. In the past, I have used fresh basil in the recipe, but did not have any on hand. I was going to substitute dried basil but could not find any, so went with some dried oregano instead. We hope you will also love this flavorful, rich, and comforting pasta with creamy red sauce and sausage! Enjoy.

Recipe for Pasta with Creamy Red Sauce & Sausage

INGREDIENTS

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 pound of mild Italian sausage with casings removed
1/2 tsp. of dried crushed red pepper flakes
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced (use a garlic press)!
26 – 28 ounces of chopped tomatoes, such as Pomi
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
Salt and pepper
a pinch or two of dried oregano
12 ounces of Penne pasta
fresh basil leaves (optional)
grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Put a large pot of water with a large pinch of salt over high heat to bring to a boil. While waiting on the water to boil, begin the sausage and creamy red sauce.

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a very large skillet. Once oil is hot, add in the sausage. Break up the sausage, using a wooden spoon. Add in the crushed red pepper flakes. Continue breaking up sausage and cooking until the sausage is no longer pink in the middle and cooked through (about 6 – 9 minutes). Add the chopped onion to the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions soften, about 4 – 5 minutes. Add in the minced garlic, stir, and cook for another minute. Then add in the crushed tomatoes, scraping up the browned bit on the bottom of the pan. Stir and cook for one minute. Stir in the heavy cream. Add salt, pepper, and dried oregano. Adjust heat to medium-low and allow sauce to simmer for 6 more minutes, stirring frequently. While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta.

Once water comes to a boil, add the Penne pasta to the pot. Stir. Cook, according to the package directions, to al dente. Drain pasta in a colander. Add the pasta to the pan of sausage and creamy red sauce. Stir to coat. Add in the basil and Parmesan, if using. Serve pasta on plates or in bowls. Sprinkle on some freshly ground pepper, if desired. Enjoy!