THREE-PEPPER PASTA RUSTICA

My own recipe, inspired by yet another dish I had at Olive Garden once, this jazzy sauce is FULL of flavor and makes a very pleasing change-of-pace from more traditional pasta sauces.

Photo: All those bright peppers make this yummy sauce colorful as well as delicious!

THREE-PEPPER PASTA RUSTICA

1 lb. mild Italian sausage*

3 or 4 cloves fresh garlic, minced

1 medium onion, cut in thin wedges

1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1/4" x 1" strips

1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1/4" x 1" strips

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut in 1/4" x 1" strips

2 cans (14.5 oz. each) Italian-style stewed tomatoes**

1 can (6 oz.) tomato paste

1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

*buy bulk if you can, but if it's not available, you can strip the casings from Italian links.

**you can substitute plain diced tomatoes, but if you do, add 2 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano, and 1 tsp. sugar.

In a 4-qt. pot, brown and crumble the sausage over medium-high heat until all pink is gone. 

Add the minced garlic, chopped onion and all of the cut bell peppers.  Saute and stir for a couple of minutes until the garlic starts to get fragrant and the peppers are bright.

Photo: All those bright peppers make this yummy sauce colorful as well as delicious!

Run the stewed tomatoes briefly thru a food processor, or snip the larger tomato pieces with kitchen shears to make the pieces smaller.  They should be about the same size as canned diced tomato pieces.  Add them to the meat/pepper mixture, along with the tomato paste, stirring to distribute the paste evenly.  Bring to a slow boil, reduce heat to maintain a good simmer, then cook uncovered for about 45 to 60 minutes, or until the excess water cooks out and the sauce is thick and rich.  Stir as needed to prevent scorching.  You may wish to use a spatter-screen to minimize the mess on your stove top.

While the sauce is cooking, prepare about 12 to 16 ounces of spaghetti per package instructions.  Drain and serve hot topped with a generous ladle-full of sauce.

Serve with your favorite green salad, crusty french bread & butter, and pass the Parmesan!

Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on appetites!