2 lb Roma tomato, Very ripe, seeded, and diced
1/4 Small red onion or 1 shallot, minced
4 cloves Garlic, minced
24 Pitted kalamata olives, quartered lengthwise
24 Pitted large green Spanish olives, quartered lengthwise
1/2 cup Fresh basil leaves, tightly packed, chiffonade
1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup Romano or parmesan cheese, freshly grated
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 lb Italian sausage, sweet or your preference (I normally use sweet pork sausage)
1 lb Penne or farfalle pasta
1. Combine tomatoes, onion, garlic, olives, basil, olive oil, and cheese in a large bowl and toss well to incorporate fully. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for one hour or longer in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat gas or stovetop grill. Poke holes in sausage to keep from popping. When grill is hot, grill sausage for 6 minutes per side uncovered. Allow to cool for 10 minutes prior to cutting. Cut slices and toss into the sauce.
3. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and the pasta. Stir well to separate and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes. Place an oven safe pasta serving bowl in 200 degree oven and allow to heat. Also place serving plates into oven to heat (I normally skip this step).
4. When pasta is cooked, drain completely and transfer to the warm serving bow. Add the sauce and sausage and toss until thoroughly mizxed. Serve immediately with a nice warm loaf of bread and additional cheese on top if desired.
Do Ahead: Make the sauce and grill sausage up to 3 days in advance Bring to room temp prior to tossing with pasta.
I have brought this as a side dish to potlucks and BBQs and it is a huge hit. I find this dish to be delish either hot or cold.