Penne with Sausage and Red Pepper Sauce

I worked at home today because of icy roads in the morning, so I was around to throw together a quick dinner. People wanted pasta, so they got this:

• 2 hot Italian and 2 mild Italian sausage links, casings removed, broken up and then browned in a 5 qt dutch oven. Remove sausage to a bowl when browned.
• To the pan drippings (with a splash of olive oil), add 1 medium onion (1 inch strips), 4 cloves of garlic (minced), 2 red peppers (1 inch strips) and 12-15 crimini mushrooms (rough chopped) and saute over medium-high heat for a 8-10 minutes until softened and the onions have some color on them. Add salt and pepper to taste as well as a teaspoon of dried oregano as they cook.
• Add the sausage back into the pot along with two 28 oz cans of crushed tomatoes.
• Depending on your heat tolerance, add as much crushed red pepper flakes as you want. I added about a teaspoon since the kids were eating this. If making for my wife and I, I would have doubled that.
• Simmer gently for at least a half hour (if time allows) to mellow the tomato out and blend the flavors. This can be simmered for as little as 10 minutes, but the tomato flavor will be sharper if cooked quickly.
• If fresh basil is available, I would chiffonade and add a nice small handful (maybe 1/2 cup) at the very end just before serving.

Serve over penne or any chunky shaped pasta.

This served our family of four with plenty of leftover sauce.