Olive Garden Neapolitan Ziti

Ingredients

• 24 ounces sweet Italian sausage links or hot Italian sausage links
• 1 1/3 cups green bell peppers
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 lb ziti pasta, cooked
• parmesan cheese, grated
• parsley sprig
• 40 fluid ounces marinara sauce
• 28 ounces italian-style canned tomatoes
• 10 3/4 fluid ounces tomato puree
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup fresh basil, packed,chopped
• salt and pepper

Directions

1. 1

   Bake or pan-fry the sausages until fully cooked, drain, cool.

2. 2

   Halve the sausages and cut the split sausages into ½ inch slices.

3. 3

   Sauté the bell peppers in olive oil over moderate heat only until their crispness is loss, but peppers are not soft.

4. 4

   In a heavy saucepan add the tomatoes, tomato puree, garlic, olive oil and fresh basil and bring to a light simmer on moderate heat.

5. 5

   Add the sautéed pepper strips and cooked sausage and heat for 3 to 5 minutes.

6. 6

   Serve the pasta, topped with the sausage, peppers and salsa marinara and garnish each plate with a parsley bouquet.

7. 7

   Pass the Parmesan.