This pasta dinner with heirloom tomato sauce, baked cauliflower, and little gem salad is an easy dinner for a warm summer evening.

Ready

Sauce

• 3 lbs heirloom tomatoes
• 2 lbs Italian sausages (spicy or mild or combo)
• large onion
• fresh basil
• garlic

Salad

• gem lettuces
• 1 avocado
• olive oil
• lemon

Cauliflower

• one large headed cauliflower(or several small)
• toasted pine nuts
• red pepper flakes
• 

Set

• food processor
• large saute pan
• large pasta pot
• pyrex pan

Go

For the Sauce

1. Saute chopped onions in olive oil over a medium heat until translucent.
2. Add sausages and brown-you can serve whole or cut into smaller pieces.
3. Add chopped garlic.
4. Reduce heat and simmer on low.
5. Meanwhile, wash and rough dice tomatoes and place in the food processor with lots of basil and sea salt.
6. Pulse 3 or 4 times to create a chunky tomato fine sauce/leave in machine to meld flavors.
7. Heat water for pasta.

Prep the Cauliflower

1. Cut cauliflower into quarters-place in pyrex pan-pour a liberal amount of olive oil over
2. add sea salt/any fresh herbs chopped garlic-
3. squeeze lemon/chili flake to taste.
4. Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes.
5. Add toasted pine nuts to cauliflower after 30 minutes.

Bring it all together

1. At the same time place pasta in salted boiling water-cook 10 minutes.
2. Cut gem lettuces into quarters.
3. Add olive oil,salt pepper, vinegar, fine diced avocado-squeeze of lemon. Mix well
4. When pasta is ready and drained, pour the tomato sauce into the saute pan with the sausages and onions add pasta and a little pasta water if not enough liquid. Toss together let pasta sit in sauce for 2 minutes.
5. Pour dressing over lettuces.
6. Take cauliflower out of oven
7. Serve and drink with a nice wine.