Roasted Red Pepper & Tomato Pasta with Sausage

Well I wish I had an exciting story to tell as to why have not been blogging, but I've got nothing. I have still been cooking up a storm and the past weekend I decided to make a few dishes for the freezer to have on hand. I will get around to posting these delicious dishes in the next week. Considering the past week has been freezing (today is -35C with the windchill), I made dishes that would warm my chilled bones. I trust this comfort food - pasta- will warm anyone up, especially if you add extra chili flakes.

Roasted Red Pepper-Tomato Sauce

1 cup jarred roasted red peppers
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
10-12 black olives
2-3 large cloves garlic
1 T parmesan cheese
4 roma tomatoes
1/4 tsp red chili flakes
salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Set aside.

Additional Ingredient

4 hot turkey sausages (whole)
1 zuchinni, chopped
1 small onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (cremini or button)
1/2 cup red wine

In a large non-stick saucepan heat 1 T olive oil over medium heat. Cook the sausages whole over low-med heat (this way they retain all their juices). Once cooked set aside. When cool enough slice into 1/2" slices.

In the same sauce pan add 1/2 cup red wine to deglaze scraping up all the brown bits. Add diced onion and cook for 5 min. Then add zucchini, mushrooms and sautee for 5 min.

Add sliced sausage and tomato sauce to pan/pot. Heat over medium heat until desired thickness. Serve over whole wheat penne and sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Makes about 4 servings.

Pastas:

Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce (vegetarian)

Spinach Pesto, Chicken Penne

Pasta Sauce with Chicken & Peppers

Shrimp in a Creamy Tomato Sauce on Penne