One-Pot Spicy Tomato Pasta

1. Cook pasta in a large pot of very salty water until al dente. (I like to prep all the sauce ingredients while the pasta cooks!)

2. Drain cooked pasta in a colander and return the empty pot to the stove.

3. Heat olive oil in the pot over medium heat until the oil shimmers.

4. Add diced onion and minced garlic to oil and give it a stir. Let the onions cook until they are translucent and caramelize a bit, about 6 minutes.

5. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to the pot and stir to incorporate.

6. Add the Italian sausage to the pot and break it up into clumps with a wooden spoon as it cooks.

7. Cook until the sausage is cooked through, about 8 minutes.

8. Add red wine to the pot to deglaze. Scrape any drippings off the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon. Don’t neglect the drippings—there’s a ton of flavor in there!

9. Add balsamic vinegar and crushed tomatoes to sauce and stir to combine. Bring sauce to a simmer.

10. Stir chopped arugula into sauce and remove sauce from heat. Give it a taste and add seasoning as necessary. Don’t be afraid to use salt—it really cuts the taste of the tomato and brings out the flavor of the sauce!

11. Return the drained pasta to the pot and stir until sauce evenly coats the pasta. Serve immediately.

Notes:
1. This pasta has a nice, spicy kick to it. For a milder version, substitute mild Italian sausage or regular ground pork for the hot Italian sausage. Adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to suit your taste.
2. Top pasta with a handful of fresh arugula for a fun, fresh garnish.
3. You could also place the prepared pasta in an oven-safe dish (if you use a Dutch oven for the whole thing, you don’t even have to dirty another dish), top with shredded mozzarella, and bake until the cheese melts for a delicious pasta bake! I topped the fresh-made pasta with fresh arugula, but when we ate the leftovers I topped the pasta with mozzarella and baked it. Both serving options were very good decisions.