1poundbulk Italian sausage or link Italian sausage removed from the casings
1medium onion, diced (I used a sweet onion. Use what you have)
1bell pepper, diced
2clovesgarlic, minced
2tablespoonsred wine vinegar
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 28ozcans whole peeled tomatoes(San Marzano are ideal, but I didn't have any and nothing bad happened)
1teaspoondried Italian seasoning, crushed lightly in your palm
3ozsoftened cream cheese, optional but comforting (You could also finish it with creme fraiche, a splash or two of heavy cream or half & half)
Instructions
Place the sausage in a large, heavy skillet (I used my 12" Lodge) or a Dutch oven over medium heat.
Break up the sausage as it begins to cook.
Once it has released some of its fat, add the onion, bell pepper and garlic along with about 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and several grinds of fresh black pepper.
Let sizzle along over medium heat until the vegetables have softened and the sausage is cooked through, well crumbled and is starting to brown, about 5-7 minutes.
Add the vinegar, stir for a moment and cook another minute or so until dry.
Pour in the two cans of tomatoes with all their juices as well as the Italian seasoning and another 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and some more grindings of black pepper.
Simmer for about twenty minutes, breaking up the whole tomatoes into pieces.
Taste and adjust the seasonings as necessary.
Over low heat, stir in the softened cream cheese (if using) until it has all melted and is evenly distributed throughout the sauce.
Serving Suggestion
Cook a pound of pasta until just shy of al dente (a large, hearty shape such as rigatoni would work well with this rustic sauce).
Drain the pasta, reserving about 1/3 cup of the starchy water.
Add about three cups of the sauce to the pot along with the drained pasta and reserved water.
Cook over high heat, stirring constantly. Be a bit careful about this so you don't break up the pasta.
After about 2 minutes, the watery sauce will have thickened up and will coat the pasta nicely.
Serve the pasta on plates or in shallow bowls, ladling over just a bit extra of the remaining sauce if you'd like.