Pasta with Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers

This is another great weeknight (or weekend, or for company) pasta dish that you can make very quickly with few ingredients. It is really tasty and you get a good serving of vegetables mixed in. It only takes about 25 minutes from start to finish, so it is perfect for when you are in a rush or don't feel like doing a lot of work, but want something delicious. When I make sauces, I often times make more than I need and then freeze what is leftover in 2-4 person servings. That way, if you are feeling lazy one night but want a home cooked meal, all you have to do is defrost a container of sauce and boil fresh pasta. This particular recipe makes enough for at least 6 people, so I used a little less than half a box of pasta, half of the sauce, and froze the rest (of the sauce). Depending on how many people you are planning to serve, cook that amount of pasta, use the sauce accordingly, and freeze what is leftover. If you are a vegetarian or are cooking for vegetarians, this dish is also great without the sausage. Serve with a basic green salad, french bread, or just by itself.

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Bell Peppers

Ingredients:
-1 box of short pasta (I used ziti, but fusilli, rigatoni or anything like that would be fine)
-2 tbs olive oil
-3 links of mild/sweet Italian sausage, taken out of the casing (twist in the middle and squeeze the meat into the pan)
-1 bell pepper, sliced thinly lengthwise (I bought 1 yellow and 1 red. I used half of each for the sauce and saved the other halves to make fajitas another night this week)
-1/2 red onion, sliced in half and then thinly lengthwise (Again, I saved the other half for the fajitas)
-1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
-1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
-1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (optional but only if you hate olives)
-2 tbs chopped fresh basil (optional but it looks really nice)
-parmesan cheese

Directions:
-Put a pot of salted water on the stove to boil for the pasta.
-Squeeze the sausage out of the casings into a saucepan with the olive oil and brown the meat (cook until it is cooked through). Make sure you break up the meat with a wooden spoon so you don't accidentally make meatballs.
-Add the sliced peppers and red onion, saute until the onions are wilted and the peppers are soft.
-Add the can of diced tomatoes and the crushed red pepper. Bring to a simmer.
-In the meantime, boil the pasta according to the directions on the label (should be about 8-10 min).
- Add the olives to the sauce. If you absolutely hate olives then you can leave them out, but they add a really nice, salty, layer of flavor that I think really makes this dish.
-Add the chopped basil.
-Toss the sauce with the cooked/drained pasta, serve with grated parmesan cheese (again, also optional but good).