Donna's Spicy Italian Pasta Sauce with Turkey Sausage

To my Culinary Friends:  It has been a few weeks since my last post due to business travel and little time in the kitchen.  Fortunately, I was able to spend some time on Mother's Day Sunday making a comfort food dish - basically an updated version of my Spicy Italian Tomato Sauce (see 19 October 2014 blog entry for recipe) - with the addition of a few more ingredients, namely butter, celery, tomato paste and turkey sausage.  These items really kicked up the flavor even more and this sauce really is better the next day!  Enjoy!  Best, Donna:

Donna's Spicy Italian Pasta Sauce with Turkey Sausage

Ingredients:

1 medium sweet onion, chopped

1/2 cup celery, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons butter

1 - 2 Tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces fresh (or reconstituted) baby Portabella mushrooms, sliced

1 Tablespoon garlic, minced

1 pound turkey sausage

1 Tablespoon dried basil, crumbled

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/2 teaspoon red pepper, ground

1/4 cup red or white Port wine

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 quarts stewed tomatoes, preferably homemade\

Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:

Heat butter and olive oil in bottom of medium-sized stockpot.  Add onion and celery and sauté until golden yellow and softened over medium-high heat.  Add the mushrooms and seasonings, and stir until mushrooms are cooked through.  Remove to slow cooker that has been sprayed with cooking oil.  Cook turkey sausage in same pan, add to slow cooker, and mix in the wine, stewed tomatoes and tomato paste.  Cook on High setting until serving time if 4 hours or less (or on Low setting for longer cooking times).  Serve over cooked spaghetti squash or gluten-free pasta and top with Parmesan cheese.

Serves 4-6.

Copyright 2015.