Makes: 6 servings

Description: An easy but luxurious meal. Tomato sauce and Italian sausage is always a great combination, and the addition of a touch of heavy cream to the sauce at the end makes this a really special dish. Johnsonville Italian Sausage has a nice blend of spices for this dish.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup  Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup  Heavy cream
1 28 oz. can  Crushed tomatoes
1 lb  Bowtie pasta
1 lb  Johnsonville Sweet Italian Sausage
2 cloves  Garlic
1 small  Onion
2 tbsps  Olive oil

Instructions: To prep, chop the red onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a large pan (big enough to hold all of the ingredients, including the pasta) over medium/high heat , and add the onion and garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes until soft.

Remove the sausage casings by slitting with a knife, and crumble the sausage meat into the pan. Break up any big pieces with a spoon, and brown the sausage on all sides, approximately 6-8 minutes.

In the meantime, bring a big pot of salted water to a boil, and add the pasta when boiling. Cook until firm, about 8 minutes. Drain and set aside.

When the sausage is browned, add the tomatoes and their juice, stir, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low so the sauce is just simmering. Simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the pasta to the sauce, and stir to coat. Add the heavy cream, and stir to incorporate. I like to use just enough heavy cream to turn the sauce pink, but you can add as much as you like. Start by adding just a bit, and then taste as you go.

Stir in half the parmesan, and serve the pasta in bowls with the rest of the cheese added on top.

via image credit: flickr/avlxyz