Sweet Italian Sausage with Homemade Marinara Sauce over Spaghetti

A Farewell at Dusk
author unknown

Pink Sahara in the sky;
clouds are dunes of sand.
I am watching shadows play
right into my hand.
Farewell, light of day.
Sky, a painted desert rose slowly fades away

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Sweet Italian Sausage with Homemade Marinara Sauce over Spaghetti

Cook's notes:For a change skip buying a jar of Marinara sauce at the store and make  your own. It's easy. The sauce can be made a day ahead for flavors to meld and the sauce freezes well.  Recipe adapted from Italian Comfort Food BHG Special Interest Publication 2015.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 lbs. Sweet Italian Sausage
• 2 TB. olive oil
• 1- 28 oz.can of Italian-style whole peeled tomatoes in puree, cut up and undrained
• 3 garlic cloves, minced  
• 1 cup each carrots, celery, onions and green pepper, diced
• 3 TB. tomato paste
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 2 tsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp.salt 
• 1/4 cup dry red wine 

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place sausages in glass pie pan, cover with foil and cook for 30 minutes. Cool, dice meat and set aside. 
• In a soup pot heat oil and add in minced garlic, carrots, celery, peppers and onions.  Saute for 8 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, broth, sugar, canned tomatoes, seasoning, salt and bay leaf.
• Whisk mixture and simmer on low uncovered 1 hour. Check to make sure carrots and celery are tender. Remove bay leaf.  Add in cooked sausages and wine. Cook 10 minutes longer. 
• Cool and refrigerate until serving. Reheat on low for 15 minutes.