The sauce is made with fire-roasted tomatoes, the "meatballs" are actually cut pieces of a rustic Italian sausage (<--totally obsessed with it!) that I get at the butcher. The sauce simmers for a little while and then I toss cooked bucatini pasta in all of that deliciousness and serve it with fresh basil, Parmesan cheese and garlic toast.
Course Mains & Entrees
Cuisine Italian
Keyword bucatini, fire roasted tomatoes, italian sausage, pasta
1pinchred pepper flakesmore or less to taste (optional)
1poundbucatini noodles
FOR SERVING:
1/2cupgrated Parmesan cheese
fresh torn basil leaves
Instructions
Add onions, carrots and celery to the bowl of your food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse until finely chopped.
Drizzle olive oil in a large, 12-inch deep-sided skillet or dutch oven. Heat pan on medium-high. Working in batches of two brown the sausages on all sides before transferring them to a clean bowl. Repeat with remaining sausages.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minutes. Add in the chopped vegetables and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add in the oregano, basil and Italian seasoning and cook for 1 minute.
Add in the tomato paste and cook until caramelized, 2 to 3 minutes. Add in the wine, stir until absorbed into the tomato mixture, then stir in water.
Add in the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree and sugar. Stir and bring to a hard simmer for 10 minutes before adding in the browned sausages. Cook for 10 more minutes before covering, reducing the temperature to low and simmering for 1 hour.
Taste and season with red pepper flakes and more salt and pepper if desired.
Meanwhile prepare pasta accordingly to package directions. Toss pasta in the sauce and serve with grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.
Toss pasta in the sauce and serve in bowls with Parmesan and torn fresh basil.