Some recipes are really mostly ideas of what to make for dinner - fairly simple combinations that aren't all that innovative, but just come together so well they are worth writing down. That's what I finally did after preparing this dish recently. There's not much to it, but if you use the right basic ingredients, it makes for a really tasty and easy dinner. The use of sliced mushrooms helps to expand the volume without spending more $ on sausage or sacrificing heartiness. See my ingredient notes at the end!

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 2 medium onions, sliced
  
• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
  
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  
• 2 8-oz. container sliced mushrooms
  
• 2 packages pre-cooked italian sausages, sweet or hot, sliced (see note)
  
• 1 jar Pasta Sauce, marinara or basil, good quality (see note)
  
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
  
• salt and pepper, to taste
  

Directions

Heat a 12-inch saute pan (with straight sides - not just a skillet) or a dutch-oven over medium-high heat, add olive oil, then onions and peppers. Saute for about 5-10 minutes until somewhat soft, but not browning. Add mushrooms and saute for another 5 or so minutes until they are fairly soft. Add the sliced sausages and cook, stirring, for another 5 minutes until they are heated through and getting a little browned.

Pour in the pasta sauce, stir, cover, and simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and let sit off-heat for 5 more minutes. (Adding the garlic at this point really makes for a bright taste. If the cloves are really big or seem extra strong, just use one.)

Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Usually jarred sauces are salty enough, so you probably just need pepper.)

Serve over pasta, rice, or quinoa, or just with good bread to soak up the extra sauce, and a little salad or raw veggies.

Notes

My favorite sausages for this recipe are Niman Ranch's Italian Pork Sausages, which I find at a local natural foods store. You could also use chicken sausage, but it won't be *quite* as succulent. Just be sure the sausages are pre-cooked (otherwise, cook them yourself before proceeding with this recipe).

My favorite pasta sauce is Bove brand, the Basil or Marinara varieties. Bertolli and Barilla make good sauces, as well.