Italian Sausage Pasta

Boil noodles: Cook 8 ounces penne noodles in a large pot of boiling water, as instructed on package.

Cook sausage: Meanwhile, remove casings from the Italian sausage. Crumble sausage while you cook it in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook uuntil browned, about 5 minutes. Drain grease and remove sausage from skillet.

Sauté onions and garlic: In same skillet (without meat), sauté ½ cup diced onions for about 5 minutes, over medium heat, until onions are soft. Add 3 cloves minced garlic and cook one more minute. Add ½ cup broth and whisk in ½ Tablespoon flour. Cook for 2 minutes, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan, until the broth is reduced.

Make sauce: Add 1 can fire-roasted tomatoes, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, ½ cup cream and the cooked sausage. Stir and cook for a few minutes, or until it's thickened a little. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

Serve: Pour sauce over cooked pasta and serve with fresh basil and parmesan, if desired.