Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes and Roasted Peppers

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound Italian sausage, sweet or hot
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup roasted red bell peppers, chopped
• 1 tablespoon capers
• 1/2 cup pitted black olives, halved
• 3-4 large fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1 pound linguine or other pasta

Directions

1. Set a large pot of water over high heat, salt it with 1 Tbsp salt per 2 quarts of water, and bring it to a boil. While that gets going, start the sausage and peppers.
2. Warm the olive oil over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add the sausage, crumbling it with your fingers as it goes in, or break it apart with a wooden spoon once it hits the pan.
3. As soon as the sausage begins to brown, stir in the garlic and let it cook for another minute. Add the roasted red peppers, capers and olives, and stir everything together. If the pasta water has not reached a boil yet, take the sauté pan off the heat.
4. When the water is boiling, add the pasta to the pot.
5. When the pasta is nearly finished, turn the heat under the sauté pan to high. Once the sausage mixture begins to sizzle, stir in the chopped tomatoes and basil. Toss everything together, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
6. Drain the pasta and transfer it to a large bowl. Spoon the sausage mixture over the top and toss until combined.