Italian Sausage Rotini

Don't tell my mom.

I have to confess. I saw this recipe in an ad in one of my mom's cooking magazines. So I ripped the page out and brought it home. I've put off cooking it for two weeks because I've had horribly bad luck making pasta dishes over the past couple of years and I just didn't know if I could bear another failure. But I had nothing else for New Recipe Wednesday, so I went for it.

This is what I call a cheater recipe because it isn't really from scratch. But it's fast and easy and I'm ok with that.

The verdict - YUM. The sausage adds a nice flavor to the sauce and made the dish quite tasty. But we're fans of sausage, so if you're not I'd suggest skipping this one. By the way, Soft Italian Bread Sticks make an awesome addition to this dish!

1 pkg sausage links
1 pkg rotini
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jar spaghetti sauce (or red sauce of your choice)
1 red pepper, chunked and sauted (optional)

Slice the sausage into rounds and saute in the olive oil. Add in onion and garlic and saute that with it. Unless you think your sauce has enough, then skip the extra. I used a jar sauce that needs some pep. Also saute the red pepper here if you add it.

Drain any extra oil and add in pasta sauce. Simmer for as long as you can, then cook pasta, combine and serve.

I let it sit for a couple of hours because I made up the sauce while Kaycie was down for naps and let it rest until time for dinner. And for the record, I used brats instead of "sausage" because it's what I had on hand. I'll try regular Italian sausage next time.

I actually only made a half recipe, since I didn't know what to expect and that was just enough for the two of us plus a little for Kaycie (who ate it!). Next time I might make more, because I think the leftover sauce would probably be tasty.