In a large pot, boil pasta. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water and set aside
1 pound penne pasta
In the same pot place sausage. Break up into large chunks. Cook through.
1 pound hot Italian sausage
Remove sausage from pan and wipe pan with a paper towel to remove grease.
Pour olive oil into pan. Add peppers and onions. Saute for approximately 5 minutes.
2 Tablespoons olive oil, 1 onion, 1 whole red bell pepper, 1 whole yellow bell pepper
Add garlic and saute for 30 seconds
1 clove garlic
Add crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and seasonings. Add ¾ cup of pasta water (or tap water)
1 can tomato paste, 1 can diced tomatoes, ½ teaspoon whole fennel seeds, ½ teaspoon dried oregano, ½ teaspoon dried basil, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground pepper, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Once mixture comes to a simmer, reduce heat and add cooked sausage and pasta
Stir and heat through. Add additional pasta water if sauce is too thick.
pasta water
Serve with Parmesan cheese and fresh chopped parsley or basil
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
Notes
Tips for making
You can also cook the pasta in one pot and cook the sausage and sauce at the same time in another pot
Reserve a bit of the pasta water for adding to the sauce
If using sausage links, remove the casing before cooking
Keep sausage in bite-sized chunks when cooking
Variations and substitutions I often make this dish with ingredients I have on hand. Some regular variations include:
Use rigatoni or bow tie pasta instead of penne pasta
Use red, yellow or orange bell peppers or a combination of colors
If you don't like hot Italian sausage, use sweet Italian sausage
Buy sausage links or bulk sausage
For the canned tomatoes, you can use diced, crushed, whole or in a pinch you could also use tomato sauce