Penne Pasta with With Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce and Italian Sausage

Serves 4-6

• 3 heads garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided use
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus a pinch, divided use
• 4 links Spicy Italian Chicken sausage, diced into small cubes
• 1 small onion, diced small
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
• 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• Pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 (410g) cans no-salt diced tomatoes
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 220g whole wheat Penne pasta
• 1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped, divided use
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 g salt
• 225 g mozzarella cheese, sliced
• 40 g grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil, thinly sliced, divided use

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C, and prepare 3 small squares of foil for garlic heads.
2. Cut the tops off of the 3 heads of garlic, drizzle each with about 1 teaspoon of the olive oil and sprinkle on a pinch of salt; wrap each garlic head tightly in a small piece of foil, and roast in the oven for 40 minutes; remove from oven, unwrap the heads and allow to cool; then squeeze the cloves from the papers and smash lightly with a fork to form a paste, and set aside to use in sauce.
3. In a large, heavy-bottom pan or pot, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil; once hot, add the diced chicken sausage and cook until golden-brown; next add the diced onion, and sauté for about 2 minutes; next add the garlic, the Italian seasoning, the oregano and the pinch of red pepper flakes, and give a stir, allowing to become aromatic; once aromatic, add the red wine and deglaze the pan, gently scraping all of the browned bits from the bottom of the pan; next add the tomato paste and stir, and allow to cook for about 1-2 minutes until the raw flavour is cooked out, then add the 3 cans of diced tomatoes, the reserved roasted garlic, the 1 ½ teaspoons of salt and the black pepper, and allow the sauce to simmer slightly covered for about 20-25 minutes while the Penne is cooked and the breadcrumbs are made; stir occasionally.
4. Prepare the Penne pasta according to package instructions (you can add some salt and oil to the cooking water, as well).
5. While Penne cooks and sauce simmers, combine the Panko breadcrumbs with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl, and use your fingers or a fork to incorporate together; in a small pan set over medium-low heat, add the breadcrumbs and toast, continually stirring, for about 1-2 minutes being careful not to burn the breadcrumbs; once the breadcrumbs are golden brown, remove from the pan and add back into the small dish; next add the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley and the grated Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumbs, and combine well with your fingers of a fork; set aside to use as a garnish/topping for pasta.
6. Once Penne is cooked, drain and set aside to add to the sauce.
7. To finish the sauce, turn heat off and add in the remaining 1 tablespoon of the chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon of the chopped basil and stir; next, add the cooked Penne directly into the sauce (or you can spoon the sauce over the Penne if easier), and toss to coat.
8. Spoon Penne with the Roasted Garlic Tomato Sauce into a bowl, and garnish with about 2-3 tablespoons of the Parmesan-Panko Breadcrumbs, and a sprinkling of the remaining 2 tablespoons of chopped basil. Enjoy!

Recipe Source