Marinara, Bolognese, puttanesca, arrabbiata and "Sunday gravy" are all sauces for pasta that begin with tomatoes. And while I adore pasta laced with any of the above, sometimes I’m in the mood for something a bit lighter.

My Angel Hair with Tomato Broth and Chicken Sausages started as a Sunday dinner experiment, and has become a family favorite. Instead of a sauce loaded with tomatoes, I created a broth-based tomato sauce that is more similar to a white clam sauce than a traditional thick tomato sauce.

Fresh chicken sausages seasoned with sundried tomatoes or spinach have recently become more common in supermarkets, and they pair beautifully with this light sauce. The chicken sausages are optional, however, and can be replaced with hot or mild Italian sausage, or left out altogether. The sauce also makes a luscious base for red clam sauce. Simply drain four 6.5-ounce cans of clams, reserving the juices to replace half of the broth in the recipe. Stir the clams in at the end of cooking, and then ladle the sauce over hot pasta.
 

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic, about 2 large cloves
• 1 cup white wine
• 1 32-ounce container reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes seasoned with oregano, basil and garlic
• 1 8-ounce can crushed tomatoes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 6 fresh chicken sausages
• Water
• 1 pound angel hair pasta
• Freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, for garnish

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add oregano and garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add wine, chicken broth, diced and crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by 1/3, about 15 to 20 minutes.

While sauce cooks, heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausages and 1/4 cup of water. Cook sausages until water is almost completely evaporated. Turn sausages, add another 1/4 cup of water to the skillet and cook until water is almost completely evaporated. Add 1/2 cup of the sauce to the pan, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, while you cook the pasta.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. Drain pasta and divide among pasta bowls. Slice sausages and divide them over the pasta and ladle some of the tomato broth over each. Sprinkle with the cheese, if desired.

Makes 6 servings.