Sausage and Penne Pasta Salad

• 1 lb penne
• 3 tbsp olive oil, extra virgin
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1 1/2 lb pork, ground
• 4 oz Provolone cheese, chopped
• 14 oz tomato, whole peeled and mashed a bit
• 2 large red bell peppers, julienned
• 4 large mushrooms, sliced
• 1 handful basil, chopped
• 2 cup grape tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cup Sicilian olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup Romano cheese, grated

1. Boil the penne to al dente, drain, rinse cool, and set aside.
2. Add the oil to a large 3 quart saucepan, heat on low, and add the onions and salt.
3. When the onions begin to turn translucent, add the pepper flakes and fennel seed, and stir.
4. After a minute or so if stirring in the flavors, add the pork and Provolone, and stir them in.
5. Add the mashed tomato while cooking the pork, and stir it all in
6. You likely have a build-up of liquid after a moment or two.
7. Separate the cooked sausage from the broth, and set the cooked sausage aside.
8. Put the mushrooms and peppers in the broth, and cook both.
9. Add water if and as needed.
10. Then set the mushrooms and peppers aside, and pour the broth into a container and store for a soup or something for later.
11. Combine the sausage, penne, mushrooms, peppers, basil, olives, and Romano cheese , and toss.
12. Season with any additional salt or red pepper flakes as desired, cool, serve, and enjoy!

penne, olive oil, onions, salt, red pepper, pork, provolone cheese, tomato, red bell peppers, mushrooms, handful basil, grape tomatoes, sicilian olives, romano cheese

Taken from cookpad.com/us/recipes/364501-sausage-and-penne-pasta-salad (may not work)