My very own pasta sauce

I was hungry!  This happens from time to time, for me, about 5 times a day. (I try to eat 5 to 6 small meals each day. "they" say it's good for you)  Trying to come up with 5 healthy small meals a day is a challenge, but, that's for another post. I digress, let's get back to the real topic here, BS Pasta Sauce!  I was at Sprouts Farmer's Market, shopping for pasta sauce and I was taken aback because the cost of a good "clean" pasta sauce was around 6 bucks. Really?  I thought to myself, hey I can cook, why shouldn't I attempt making my own sauce. How hard can it be, tomatoes, sausage, Italian spices, onions, garlic, bell pepper and red cooking wine, right? So that's what I did.  Oh I almost forgot, I also purchased some nifty organic quinoa pasta because it was a bargain and this girl loves bargains!!!  Oh and the Sausage, the hot Italian one, is the best. Okay now, Let's get cooking!

BS Pasta Sauce

1 tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 package of fresh sliced mushrooms 

1 lb. bulk (or remove casings) spicy Italian sausage 

1 large onion of your choice

4 (or more) cloves of fresh garlic, minced

1 28 oz can Crushed tomatoes 
1/4 cup cooking wine (or wine of your choice)

1 (or more) bell pepper chopped small

2 (or more) teaspoons Italian seasoning

extra oregano (if you like)

garlic powder to your taste

sea salt to taste

pepper to taste

pinch of crushed red pepper flakes (or more)

Pasta of your choice cooked according to package directions 

(I used Ancient Harvest Quinoa Super Grain Pasta, Rotelle)

Heat on med. high a large deep skillet or sauce pan until water dances when it is sprinkled on it.  Add olive oil and heat. Toss in the mushrooms and sauté until they shrink.  Dump the shrooms onto a plate and set aside. Put the pan back onto the burner add the chicken sausage and brown.  When the sausage is almost finished cooking add the onion and garlic. Finish cooking the sausage and toss in the tomatoes, mushrooms and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer on low for about an hour or more or less.  Beef up the spices according to taste.  Toss with pasta and enjoy. If you think that the hot italian chicken sausage is too hot, try another they have several different varieties. 

 

Side note: the quiona pasta was meh...