{Recipe} ~ Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta

I haven't been cooking as much lately since I've been busy! I finally made it to the grocery store last week (after eating toast for breakfast, pb&j's for lunch, and popcorn for dinner) and stocked up on some goodies. My old roommate Laura has class in Greenville a few nights a week so I invited her over to the apartment for a girls' night with Lauren and me! I love having two of my girls to hang out mid-week. I gave this recipe a try, and it was a hit! Laura brought bread from the Fresh Market and Lauren made the salad. Red wine was also a must. Without further ado:

Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta

from The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

4-5 Italian sausages (about 1 pound) found in the fresh meat department

1 cup chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
1 cup heavy cream
5-6 big leaves of fresh basil, chopped
12 ounces penne pasta (get a 16 ounce box and use 3/4 of it)
grated Parmesan for topping

Directions:
1) Cook the pasta in salted water al dente, according to package directions.
2) While pasta is cooking, brown the sausages and cut them into slices (I actually removed the casings and then browned and crumbled the sausages like you would ground beef).
3) Add the onions and garlic to the sausage and saute for a couple of minutes.
4) Pour in the entire can of diced tomatoes and the tomato sauce and heat through.
5) Pour in the cream and heat through. The longer you cook the sauce the thicker it will get so simmer it until it is the consistency you want.
6) Add the fresh basil and let it simmer for a few minutes.
7) Finally, mix the sausage sauce with the pasta and serve. Top each serving with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Serve with crusty garlic bread.