Penne & Sausage

Serves 6 as an entree

Level of difficulty: Moderate

This rich and hearty pasta is delicious with our fruit-forward, low tannin AmerItal Red, a blend of Sangiovese and Barbera.

Ingredients:
16 oz. Penne pasta
6 tablespoons olive oil
6 garlic cloves, whole
1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
(2) 28 oz cans San Marzano tomatoes, drained, chopped, and juice reserved
12 fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup Goosecross AmerItal wine
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
dash cinnamon
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 lbs. mild Italian sausage (ground)

Directions:
For the pasta:
Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, stirring occasionally. Drain pasta, rinse, and return to same pot to keep warm. Set aside.

Prepare Sauce:
In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes over medium-high heat. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring well. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5 more minutes until the onion and garlic are soft. Drain the tomatoes, reserve the juice, and chop to 1/2 inch cubes. Add the chopped tomatoes, basil, wine, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, and salt. Stir well and cook 5 minutes over medium heat.

Add the reserved tomato juice, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in a skillet brown the sausage and drain well. Add sausage to the tomato sauce and finish cooking about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

In a blender, process about 1/3 of the pasta sauce to a smooth consistency. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan and stir well. Add sauce to the Penne pasta and serve. Accompany the pasta with a vinaigrette salad, French bread and Goosecross AmerItal.

Complementary Wines: Barbera, Chinon, Dolcetto, Sangiovese

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