Sausage Penne

Pretty much every family has a go-to meal that everyone loves and is easy to make.  This is ours.  It was first introduced to us by our good friends the Dunns, who found it in Food & Wine Magazine before we became subscribers of that now-beloved publication.  It takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, and even less time to devour.  For four or five years now, we've made it nearly weekly (with a few breaks here and there because I simply can't stand food ruts), and we still love it.  We usually serve it with a side of blanched and sauteed broccolini, but sometimes we'll do green beans or even a salad. 

So without further ado, an Oglesbee family favorite:  Sausage Penne. 

(Recipe adapted from Food & Wine Magazine, 2002)
Ingredients:
1 box whole-wheat penne pasta, cooked
1 lb. hot Italian sausage
3/4 c. white wine
3 T. grainy mustard (like Dijon)
dash or pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
3/4 c. heavy cream (we often just use 2% milk, though)
1 c. thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:
Brown the sausage in a large skillet or Dutch oven.  When it's fully cooked, add the white wine, scrapping up the browned bits; let simmer and reduce to about half, for about 5 minutes.  Add the mustard and crushed red pepper and stir to coat.  Add the cream/milk and bring to a simmer, stirring often.  Pour over the cooked pasta, toss to coat, stir in the basil, and serve.