Chunky Red Sauce with Ground Italian Sausage

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 1 sweet Italian pepper, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 zucchini, sliced
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2 (14 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste, or more as needed (optional)
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Cook and stir sausage and garlic in hot oil until browned and crumbly, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer sausage and garlic to a plate using a slotted spoon, leaving any drippings in the saucepan.

Saute onion, green pepper, sweet pepper, and salt in the same saucepan until slightly softened, about 5 minutes. Add zucchini and continue cooking until onion is translucent, 5 to 10 minutes more. Drain off any excess liquid.

Stir sausage, crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, rosemary, parsley, black pepper, and red pepper flakes into onion-zucchini mixture. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover the saucepan with a lid, and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors blend and sauce is thickened, about 2 hours.