Bowties with Sausage Cream Sauce

Kyle and I love Italian food. My favorite restaurant in Tuscaloosa was always DePalma's, mainly for the meatball and onion breadsticks with pizza sauce. So good! Sadly, the last time we went it just wasn't the same. The owner committed suicide several years ago, but for a while it didn't change. I think they've taken some shortcuts because of the economy. Very depressing.

I got distracted. That has nothing to do with this recipe and I'm sorry you will have to read that anytime you look at this post. The point of the post is this pasta recipe that I discovered a couple of weeks ago that is delicious. Just ask our friend Shay!

Bowties with Sausage Cream Sauce

1 package Bowtie pasta

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup diced onion

1 28 ounce (or 2-14 ounce, duh) can of Itialian style diced tomatoes, drained

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons minced fresh basil (optional)

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook pasta in boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente: drain and set aside. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook sausage and pepper flakes until sausage is evenly brown. Stir in onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Add tomatoes, cream, and salt. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir cooked pasta into sauce, and heat through. Sprinkle with basil and serve.