Rigatoni with sausage and red sauce

The other night I made one of my favorite dishes - rigatoni with sausage, red onion, capers and marinara. My wife makes this all the time but I decided to give it a shot. The first time I had this dish was at Carmine's in Chicago.

It is right downtown by the medical school so I used to go there for lunch. It was on my rotation with the sandwich trucks outside the medschool, Gino's, Frontera Grill, India Palace, Buhkara, Gaylord's and numerous Vienna Beef joints.

I do this dish a little different than my wife. I like to form the suasage into tiny meatballs and cook them separate from everything else. I saute the red onion until it is just done and add them in at the very end. I cook the meatballs for a bit in a 14 oz can of tomato sauce. At the end I add crushed tomatoes and all the other ingredients. I like the fresher taste you get by adding the crushed tomatoes at the end.

Rigatoni with Sausage, Red Onions and Capers

1 pound Italian sausage, formed into little balls
14 oz can tomato sauce
1/2 t dried oregano
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t black pepper
salt to taste

1 red onion, cut into slices and sauteed in olive oil
about 2 T capers
about 1/3 cup cream
32 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 box rigatoni, cooked al dente

Brown the sausage balls. Drain off the grease. Add the tomato sauce, herbs and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer and cover. Simmer for 30 minutes, being careful not to let it dry out.

Next dump all of the rest of the ingredients in with the sausage and stir. Cook until heated through.