Italian Sausage Simmered in Store Bought Sauce

This is not so much a recipe as how I doctor up store bought sauce and simmer some Italian sausages therein. We serve it/them with spaghetti and topped with freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano. It's one of my family's favorite quick weekday dinners served with a salad and crusty bread.

If you grate your cheese in advance, it's better to use the small side of a box grater than a Micro-Plane. The box grater shreds will have less surface area and will lose less of the volatile flavors of the cheese.

Italian Sausage Simmered in Store Bought Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 package Italian sausage links
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup or so red wine
1 jar of the simplest (few ingredients, no sugar or HFCS) store bought spaghetti sauce
Italian herb blend
dry oregano
1 pound dry spaghetti cooked to manufacturer's directions
freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano

Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium high heat. Add the sausage links and cook, turning occasionally, until browned all over.

Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds. You want the garlic to be aromatic but not burnt. Add the wine and cook for a couple of seconds. Add the sauce and herbs to your taste. I like about a teaspoon of each.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 20 minutes until the sausages are cooked through.

Plate the sausages and serve the sauce with the spaghetti. Sprinkle all with parmigiano-reggiano.

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