Pasta with Sausage, Tomatoes, Basil and Mozzarella

I love make easy pasta dishes.  They feed a lot of people and can often be made ahead.  I made this recipe using all local ingredients but you can use whatever your favorite brands are.  The sausage I used is from Dines Farms, the pasta and cheese are from Bambino's Ravioli, garlic is from the Garden of Eve Farm and the tomatoes, basil and oregano are from my garden.  What's more local than that?  This recipe makes a lot but you can freeze the extra sauce for later or just half the recipe for a smaller group.

Makes enough for 8 people. 

Ingredients:

2 TBS olive oil
6 Italian Style Sausages, pork, chicken or turkey will work here
6 large cloves of garlic, minced
8 cups plum tomatoes, cubed, you can use 2 28 oz. cans of diced tomatoes if you want
6 basil leaves, cut or torn into pieces
1 stalk fresh oregano
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 lbs rigatoni pasta, or your favorite type
1/2 lb. fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed

Here's how:

Prepare the pasta according to the directions.

To prepare the sauce, heat the oil in a deep saute pan.

Add the sausages and brown on all sides.

Remove the sausages and cut them into 1/2 inch rounds.  They will not be cooked all the way inside.  This is how you want them.  Set aside.

Add the garlic the the pan and saute for seconds in the fat let off by the sausages. 

This is where the flavor from the sausage is

Add the tomatoes and stir. 

Garlic and one cup tomatoes

                                                                 Half the tomatoes in
Add the basil, oregano, salt, pepper and sausages back into the pan.

                                                                    Everything in the pan
Cook on medium-high heat for 30 - 40 minutes until the sauce thickens and the sausages are cooked through.  The raw flavor of tomatoes will be gone and the sauce will taste like the sausage and herbs.

                                                                       Cooked down and ready to eat
Remove the stem from the oregano and discard.

In a large bowl or pot put in cooked pasta and pour the sauce on top.  Stir to combine. 

Stir in the fresh mozzarella and garnish with some extra basil if you have it.

                                                                   Fresh Mozzarella cut up

                                                                      Pasta is ready
Serve.