Spagetti with Sausage and Beans

I made a variation on my usual spagetti recipe and used sausages and cannellini beans instead of turkey meatballs.  Totally yummy!

1 cups yellow onion, finely diced

1 cup red, yellow or orange pepper, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce, seeded and very finely minced

2 cans (28 oz.) whole, peeled tomatoes*, crushed by hand into the sauce pan

1 can (15 oz.) fire-roasted diced tomatoes (I like Muir Glen brand)

3 T. tomato paste

2 t. dried oregano or Italian seasoning

1 T. fennel seeds, crushed

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 cup+ fresh basil, chopped
1 can (15 oz.) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained

4-5 Italian sausages, cooked**

Saute onion and peppers until soft.  Add garlic and chipotle and saute one more minute.  Add remaining ingredients except basil.  Simmer an hour or longer.  Add basil and serve on whole wheat spagetti topped with parmesan or asiago cheese.

*Use San Marzano tomatoes if you can find them.

**Cooking sausages:  Cover sausages with cold water; bring to a simmer and cook sausages for about 8 minutes.  Do not boil since this will break the casing.  Remove and coat sausages with oil.  Grill for a few minutes on each side.  Let cool, cut into slices, and add to the sauce during the last 15 minutes of cooking.