Spaghetti Sauce With Hot Italian Sausage

Inspired by my Dad's somewhat tamer spaghetti sauce, this is my spiced up twist on an old classic. It is easy to make, SMELLS great and makes enough for dinner plus 2 frozen dinners for two (for those nights you just don't have time to cook from scratch). This sauce comes out THICK and CHUNKY, so adjust if you like a thinner sauce. I also make this a day in advance of when I want to eat it as I like the flavor after it has been refrigerated over night and then reheated.

• Ready In: 1 hr 10 mins
• Serves: 6-8
• Yields: 6-8 cups

Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/2-2 lb) package hot Italian sausage, fresh (5-6 links)
• 1 (24 -28 ounce) jar  of your favorite pre-made  spaghetti sauce, no meat
• 1 (28 ounce) can tomatoes, crushed fire roasted (in organic isle, I like Muir Glen brand)
• 4 -5  garlic cloves, diced
• 1  large yellow onion, chopped
• 1  yellow bell pepper, seeded, chopped
• 5 -6  tablespoons  dried Italian seasoning
•  salt, taste
•  pepper, taste
• 1  teaspoon sugar
• 1  teaspoon  smoked paprika
• 2  bay leaves
• 2 -3  tablespoons olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees, line baking sheet or glass casserole with foil for easy clean up.
2. Chop onion, pepper and garlic while oven is preheating.
3. Put whole sausages on foil lined pan/casserole, bake 20- 30 minutes or until golden brown and expelling some juices, remove and let cool slightly.
4. While sausage is cooking, in a pan large enough for all ingredients, over medium heat, saute onions and peppers in olive oil 5-7 minutes until onions are almost translucent, add garlic and saute for 2 more minutes (DO NOT allow garlic to get brown or it will be bitter), reduce heat to simmer.
5. To pan of onions/peppers/garlic add jar of pre-made sauce (fill empty jar with a splash of water or beer :) , close lid, shake to rinse, open and add to sauce), fire roasted tomatoes, bay leaves, italian seasoning, sugar, and smoked paprika.
6. Slice sausage into bite sized pieces on a steep angle, add to sauce. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt and pepper to your taste during the last 30 minutes.
7. Serve over your favorite pasta with some grated cheese.
8. ENJOY!