Stella's Spicy Italian Pomodoro Pasta

Ingredients

• Spaghetti Pasta
• 2 cans whole peeled Tomatoes (could also be diced or pureed or a combination – just don’t use tomato sauce, just tomatoes, no extra herbs or spices.) The absolute best is if you have grown and canned your own tomatoes, but store bought cans work perfectly fine too!
• ½ head gearlic – I love garlic!
• Fresh Basil – 2 bunches
• Dash Oregano
• Chili flakes
• Calabrian Chilis or Calabrian Chili Paste
• Spicy Italian Sausages/Sausage meat
• Real Parmesan cheese
• Salt
• Olive Oil

 
Pasta

1. Boil a large amount of water in a 8 qt stock pan. Note: to cut down on the time and energy required to heat up that amount of water, I use my electric tea kettle to get the water boiling, and then add to the pot on medium heat.
2. Add a good amount of salt to the water
3. Add a good amount of Olive Oil to the pan
4. Bring to a rolling boil
5. When ready add noodles – heed the cook time on the package, but I always go by the taste of the noodles to know when to strain the pasta. Stir frequently and pull the noodles up through the oil on the surface.
6. I look for perfectly cooked pasta, not over cooked and not full al dente. I want the noodles to be firm, but I don’t want to taste hardness or raw noodle at the center of the noodle.
7. Strain the noodles when they are ready. Rinse with cool water to keep them from continuing to cook, but don’t drown them or fully cool them off. We still want a hot meal! Add a couple glugs of olive oil and mix to coat the noodles in oil, and not have the stick to each other.

 
Sauce

1. Add tomato cans to a sauce pans. If the tomatoes are whole I try to break them up into bite size chunks with fork and knife, or with kitchen shears.
2. Pan fry the spicy Italian sausage in a cast iron pan.
3. Mince the garlic and add to the sauce pan. Sometimes I will roast some whole garlic cloves in a toaster oven until it is soft and sweet, and add them whole to the sauce.
4. Add in Oregano, sliced Calabrian chilis or Calabrian chili paste, chili flakes and salt to taste
5. Allow to come to a simmer, don’t over boil or it will become too runny.
6. Add fresh basil, because it cooks down and adds such a wonderful flavor I am very generous with the fresh basil in the sauce. I also add more fresh basil on top the finished pasta so cut extra and save some for garnishing the dish!
7. Cut up spicy Italian sausages into bite size chunks, and add to sauce.
8. Simmer until noodles are ready.

 

1. Grate fresh parmesan.

 

1. Serve with red wine.