Ingredients:
- Tea Rubs: 2 tablespoons (A blend of black tea, green tea, and any other fragrant tea leaves)
- Italian Sausage: 4 links, casings removed and meat crumbled
- Pasta: 12 oz, any shape you prefer (e.g., spaghetti, penne, fusilli)
- Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
- Garlic: 4 cloves, minced
- Red Pepper Flakes: 1 teaspoon (adjust to taste)
- Tomato Sauce: 24 oz
- Olive Oil: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: To taste
- Pepper: To taste
- Fresh Basil: A handful, chopped (for garnish)
- Grated Parmesan Cheese: For serving
Instructions:
- Prepare the Tea Rubs: Crush the tea leaves finely using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder. Mix the crushed tea leaves with salt and pepper to taste to create a rub.
- Season the Sausage: Rub the tea mixture evenly over the crumbled sausage meat.
- Cook the Sausage: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the seasoned sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 1 minute.
- Add Spices and Tomato Sauce: Stir in the red pepper flakes and tomato sauce. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
- Simmer the Sauce: Allow the sauce to simmer for 10-15 minutes to develop the flavors.
- Cook the Pasta: Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, following the package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss to combine. If the pasta seems dry, add some reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Add Sausage: Stir in the cooked sausage back into the pasta and sauce mixture.
- Garnish and Serve: Serve the sausage pasta in bowls, garnished with chopped fresh basil and grated Parmesan cheese.