The Unofficial Cook

This is another quick  recipe that will be on your dinner table within an hour of starting it. Serve it with a light, green salad and you’re ready.

For this recipe, I used Sweet Italian Sausage flavored with fennel.  I find the hot sausages a little too spicy for me. I prefer sprinkling red pepper flakes in the sauce so I have better control of the heat.  Spouse and I are not big fans of hot spices.

Italian Sausage with Peppers:

1 lb. sweet Italian sausages

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 big white or red onion, sliced

1 red bell pepper, sliced

1 green bell pepper, sliced

1/3 c. Bertolli Spaghetti Sauce

salt & pepper to taste

1 lb. spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions

1/3 c. pasta water

salt & pepper

dash of red pepper flakes

Cook sausages over medium heat in a casserole until browned on all sides.  Transfer them to an ovenproof plate and set aside in a warm oven.

Drain the oil from the pan, leaving about half a tablespoon.  Add peppers, onions and garlic and cook until onions are crisp-tender.  Add the spaghetti sauce and stir for a minute or two.  Transfer the vegetables to the plate with the sausages.  Leave a little of the sauce in the pan.

Heat the same pan on medium heat, add a tablespoon of olive oil and add garlic.  Cook until almost brown, not quite.  Add the spaghetti noodles and the pasta water.  Season to taste.  Turn off heat and add a dash (or more) of extra virgin oil.

At this point, you can assemble the sausages, peppers and noodles on a plate or you can mix it all back in the pan.