Instructions: 1. In heavy dutch oven, brown sausage pieces in olive oil.

2. Remove sausage and add onion and bell pepper. Cook until tender.

3. Return sausage to pot and add remaining ingredients (except for rigatoni).

4. Bring mixture just to a boil, then reduce heat to a very low simmer.

5. Cook, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

6. When sauce is nearly done, cook rigatoni in salted boiling water to al dente perfection. Drain.

7. Toss pasta lightly with butter, then serve with sauce. Top with Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Serving Ideas : Accompany with tossed salad and crusty bread

NOTES : I dont remember where I got this recipe originally, but Ive been making this dish for at least 30 years, and have made enough revisions that I now consider it my own. The sauce is one of the best tomato-based Italian sauces Ive ever

tasted. I usually remove the casing from the sausage. I used to always use Hillshire Farm Hot, but they made it much hotter a while back, and I now use sweet.

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