Penne with Sausage and Peppers

Penne with Sausage and Peppers

This gluten free version of Penne with Sausage and Peppers is my go-to dish when I come home from an Italian street festival and the sausage and pepper sandwiches are everywhere but in my hands.  Oh the feelings of deprivation that often come flooding when everyone else seems to be enjoying this classic.  I miss the days of sinking my teeth into that crusty bread as the flavors of the sandwich come together like a symphony.  This pasta dish quells those feelings of isolation in one first bite.

Penne with Sausage and Peppers
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min

Ingredients

• 8 oz gluten free penne
• 1 lb of Italian sausage
• 1 red pepper, chopped
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 2 tbsp of Olive oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• ¼ cup red wine
• ¼ cup cream, optional
• 1 tsp thyme or Italian seasoning
• salt, pepper and crushed red pepper to taste

Video Tutorial:

Instructions

1. Put a pot of water on to boil so that it’s ready when you are.
2. Slice the sausage into 1 inch lengths, add it to a large pan over a medium high heat, with a tbsp. of olive oil. 
3. Sauté the sausage for 5 or 6 minutes tossing them around until they’re browned on all sides. 
4. Add the peppers and onions to the pan and sauté for another 3-4 minutes before using your stirring utensil, to clear a small space in the pan then add the other tablespoon of olive oil along with the sliced garlic and sauté for another minute or two of until the garlic softens then stir it in with the rest of the ingredients.
5. Add the crushed tomatoes, wine, and spices and stir to combine then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes. 
6. Drop your penne into the salted water to cook until it’s one minute shy of the package instructions.
7. Once the pasta is done stir it into the sausage and peppers but be sure to reserve a little pasta cooking liquid to loosen up the dish if it looks too dry. 
8. Add the cream if you’re using it and stir to get all the pasta nicely coated then serve.