Easy Pasta Sauce

Monday I was inspired by the Pioneer Woman to make her baked ziti. But by the time dinner rolled around, I wasn't sure that I wanted something quite that heavy with all of the cheese (truth is, I had way too much leftover pizza for lunch, so the baked ziti wasn't sounding so great). So, I decided to use much of the same ingredients (and a few different ones) to make my own pasta sauce to go with the penne I had at home.

I browned about 1/2 pound of hot Italian sausage (you may want to drain some of the grease afterward or wipe your pan a little with a paper towel), threw in a small diced onion and a couple of minced garlic cloves, and cooked until they were translucent.

Then I added a 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes and an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce. I added some salt and pepper as well as some Italian seasonings (you can use whatever you have and taste as you go), then let it simmer for a bit. Next I threw in about 8 oz. (half of a box) of cooked penne and tossed it together.

I topped it with a little parmesan cheese and would have added fresh basil, but I didn't have any. This made enough for Josh and I to eat it for dinner and have leftovers for lunch. This is a great easy weeknight meal. If you wanted to save even more time, you could make the sauce ahead of time, then just reheat it and throw in some fresh pasta.

P.S. Please forgive the poor lighting in these pictures. I didn't realize until afterward that I still had my camera on "sunset" mode. Plus, our 1970s house has terrible lighting. So it was a winning combination.