Penne with Sausage, Peppers, and Homemade Marinara

I am a lucky girl because I have a kind and generous neighbor named Jack!!! Not only is he a great guy, but he also has a green thumb and a very big garden. I looked out my window recently, and there were two huge bags of fresh veggies waiting for me–yes, Jack even delivers. Today in the bags, I found zucchini, cucumbers, corn on the cob, and a ton of beautiful tomatoes. I used the tomatoes to make a simple marinara sauce, tossed with penne pasta, Italian sausage slices, and sautéed bell pepper and onion. We all loved this penne with sausage, pepper, and homemade marinara recipe and thought it paired well with a Caesar salad and cheesy garlic bread. My son, who had three servings, really loved this pasta recipe! Thanks for the beautiful, delicious tomatoes, Jack–you truly are the best neighbor.

Penne with Sausage, Peppers, and Homemade Marinara

Marinara Sauce:

• 7 miscellaneous tomatoes, quartered
• Large handful of cherry tomatoes
• 1 head of garlic, DO NOT REMOVE SKINS
• ½ yellow onion, cut into large chunks
• 2 tbsp olive oil  (divided)
• ¼ tsp dried basil, or more to taste
• ¼ tsp dried oregano, or more to taste
• Pinch of crushed red pepper (more if you want a spicy sauce)
• Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• Pinch of sugar, to taste

Other Ingredients:

• 5 turkey or pork Italian sausages, cooked, then sliced into chunks
• 4 baby bell peppers, sliced
• ½ yellow onion, sliced
• 8 oz penne pasta, prepared al dente, per instructions
• Fresh basil, chopped
• Parmesan cheese, for topping

How to Make Penne with Sausage, Peppers, and Homemade Marinara:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees; line a baking sheet with foil, then coat with olive oil cooking spray.

Quarter the tomatoes, cut the onions, and break up the head of garlic (KEEP SKINS ON SO THEY DON’T BURN).

Spread the tomatoes (except for the cherry tomatoes), onions, and garlic all over the lined baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then sprinkle with dried basil, oregano, sea salt, freshly cracked pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to taste; toss to coat.

Place in the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes; remove from the oven and add the cherry tomatoes.

Roast for another 15-20 minutes or until vegetables are really soft and the tomatoes are still juicy. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once cooled, carefully peel the skin from the garlic cloves.

Spoon the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and juices into a small Dutch oven. Using an immersion blender, blend the vegetables until smooth, making sure there are no chunks. Simmer for 1-2 hours.

Cook the turkey Italian sausages in a large skillet over medium heat until they are cooked through. Remove from the skillet, and add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet and cook the peppers and onion until soft and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Season the peppers with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste.

Remove the sauce and slice.

Cook the pasta al dente in a large pot of well-salted boiling water, according to the package instructions, then drain.

Add the marinara to the drained penne, along with the sausage, peppers, and fresh basil, then toss to coat evenly.

Top with Parmesan cheese and serve. Enjoy.