You don’t need to make pasta separately from the sauce. Better for the pasta to soak up flavor, rather than just water and one less pan to wash.
People talk about how the ‘love’ pasta, no one loves pasta itself, much like rice, bread and potatoes, pasta doesn’t have much flavor on it’s own, what people love is the sauces that go on pasta. If you are out of pasta, there is nothing wrong with putting the same sauces over rice or potatoes.
One Italian sausage, a chunky marinara pack, 1/2 cup elbow macaroni, and some Parm. Chunky Vegetable Marinara
Put the chunky marinara in the micro for just 10 seconds. Just to soften, or thaw in the fridge.
Slit the casing of the sausage and remove. Put the sausage in a medium hot pan with a bit of olive oil. Chunk it up. For this dish I like to keep the chunks fairly large. Get the sausage nice and brown with some crispy bits. Add in the chunky marinara. And a bag of water. Seal the bag and shake to get any flavor from the sidesStir everything together and bring to a boil. Stir in the pasta. Reduce heat, cover and cook about 10 minutes until the pasta is cooked to your preferred tenderness, and most of the sauce is absorbed.
I have always cooked, I was that person who could make a meal from an empty fridge. I have lived alone and with large and small families, I have cooked for camps on wood stoves, and in professional kitchens. I have lived and worked all over the west from Montana, to Seattle to Arizona to San Diego. I have traveled, maybe not 'all over the world', yet, and have collected tastes recipes and techniques everywhere, and every one I meet.
