Instructions

Into a bowl, place:

• 5 cloves garlic (minced),
• 1 tsp. chili pepper, 1 tsp. dried basil, 1 tsp. dried oregano, a pinch of salt,
• 1 cup olive oil.

Mix with a fork and let sit—this is your picante. 

Lightly wet a large non-stck frying pan and, on low heat, fry:

• 3 lb. Italian sausages (cut into 1-inch pieces).

When the sausages are moderately seared, add:

• 1 cup white wine.

Cover and let the sausages get drunk for 10-15 minutes. When they're absolutely annihilated, remove with a slotted spoon. Quickly wipe the pan and fry sausages again in olive oil until they’re nicely browned. Then remove to a bowl.

Using the same pan and more olive oil, fry:

• 1 lb. fresh mushrooms (first washed and nuked for 5 minutes to remove their black water from inside, then sliced),
• while seasoning with salt, black pepper, and 1-2 tbsp. picante (added near the end to prevent garlic from burning).

When done, remove mushrooms to the sausage bowl and using more oil, fry:

• 5-6 red bell peppers (sliced lengthwise into slim strips),
• while seasoning with salt, black pepper, and 1-2 tbsp. picante (added near the end to prevent garlic from burning).

Again, remove to sausage bowl using slotted spoon when done.

Boil 2 lb. rigatoni pasta in salted water until slightly undercooked. Drain well and mix in the remaining picante, quickly fried, along with the sausage and vegetables (add more oil if need be). Pour everything into a roasting pan and bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, mix, and bake another 5 minutes (until partly dry).

Serve with or without cheese. If with, mix in before baking.