Pasta Sauce

This is going to be a shorter post. I made homemade pasta sauce last night for pasta using a recipe I made up on the spot--and it turned out really good! I did remember to note ingredients and amounts down so I could share here.

What you'll need:
6 sprigs of fresh rosemary, each 2-3 inches long
8 small fresh sage leaves (or 5 large leaves)
3-4 sprigs of fresh oregano
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
6-8 cloves of garlic
2 medium shallots
3 Tbs. olive oil
1/2 c. cognac
1 6-oz. can of tomato paste
1 14.5-oz. can of diced tomatoes
1/4 c. water
1 Tbs. brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c. half & half or cream
6 gourmet sausages (Aidells makes really tasty ones)
1 lb. linguine pasta, cooked

What you'll need to do:
1. Clean the rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, and garlic; for the fresh herbs, keep the leaves and toss the stems. Put everything into a wooden chopping bowl and chop until fine (or use a food processor). Set aside. Dice the shallots and set aside. Cut up the sausages into large chunks (I cut each sausage into three pieces).
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil and heat until it is just starting to shimmer. Add the herbs and garlic mix and cook for 1-2 minutes as you stir. Add the shallots and cook for another 3-5 minutes,stirring occasionally, until the shallots are soft and are starting to become transparent.
3. Add the cognac and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits stuck to the bottom. Continue cooking until the cognac reduces by about half. Add the tomato paste and diced tomatoes (including the juice) and mix everything together until well blended. Add the water (you can add more if you want a thinner sauce) and mix it in. Bring to simmering, then reduce heat to low, cover the skillet, and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
4. Add the brown sugar and the salt and pepper. Taste the sauce to make sure you have a good balance of salty and sweet. Add the half & half, mix in completely, then stir in the sausages. Re-cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes.
5. Remove from heat. Serve hot over cooked linguine pasta.

I know I've said it before, but fresh herbs make all the difference. In homemade pasta sauce, that's doubly true. Enjoy!