Vegetarian Pasta Puttanesca with Grilled Sausage

There are several racy legends behind the invention of this particular pasta dish. (Nothing like a good backstory to keep dinner interesting, right?) Try this salty, spicy, fast recipe any night of the week. The addition of the grilled sausages adds a nice smoky element & a little protein.

1 large can petite diced tomatoes

4 ounces manzanilla olives (roughly chopped)

1-2 tablespoons capers (rinsed)

1 shallot (diced)

4 cloves of garlic (microplaned)

1 handful fresh parsley (chopped)

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 teaspoon (or more) red pepper flakes

black pepper (to taste)

2 grilled vegetarian sausages (Italian Style Fieldroast sliced on the bias)

4 servings of thin spaghetti (cooked and drained)

Heat the oil over medium-high heat, and then add the garlic. Watch it closely, because you do not want the garlic to burn. It only needs to cook for about a minute before you add the can of tomatoes, juice and all. Add the rest of the ingredients -- save for the chopped parsley. Continue to cook until most of the moisture has evaporated. This should take less than ten minutes, which is about how much time you need to cook the pasta. Add the parsley to the sauce a few minutes before the addition of your pasta. I pull the pasta straight from the pot and throw it into the sauce. This way it stays hot and doesn't clump. Now toss the pasta and sauce together until nicely incorporated. This is a dish served best family style with a rustic loaf of bread, so find a large bowl or dish, dump the pasta in, top with some parm and parsley, and dig in.