Pasta with (Turkey) Sausage and Olives

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound Mostaccioli, Rigatoni or other medium pasta shape, uncooked
8 oz. Italian-style turkey sausage
1 tbsp. olive or vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 cups canned Italian plum tomatoes, crushed
12 medium black olives, pitted and sliced
Pinch of crushed red pepper
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
Grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

Crumble the sausage into a lightly oiled skillet. Place over medium heat and saute, stirring often to break up the meat, until the sausage is cooked through. Drain and cool the meat.

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and fry until golden brown. Add the tomatoes, olives and crushed red pepper. Return the sausage to the skillet and add salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is thickened, about 5 minutes.

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve one cup of the pasta cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and return it to the pot over low heat. Add the sauce. If the sauce is too thick to evenly coat the pasta, add some of the reserved pasta cooking liquid. Stir in the parsley. Divide the pasta among serving plates. Garnish with grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

National Pasta Assoc.