The Poor Family's Gourmet Pasta

So, sick of all that Ragu Prego stuff? This is the perfect pasta recipe for entertaining at the last minute or if your wallet is empty but you still want to make something memorable. I make this a lot. Any pasta will do, but i prefer the lined penne as the sauce sticks better to it than something super smooth like bowtie. I'm laying out the recipe for a 2 person + 1 toddler serving.
*1/2 a box of whole grain or white lined penne pasta.
*olive oil
*3 shakes of crushed red pepper
*5 garlic cloves sliced thin (not minced or chopped, but in thin little slices)
*1 and 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
*14 oz crushed tomatoes
*1 tsp dried basil
*3 tbsp sugar
*pepper to taste
Make your pasta according to directions on the box. Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a big pan/pot liberally. Turn on a low to low-medium flame and add garlic and crushed red pepper. Saute slowly until some of the garlic just starts to brown a little. Stand back and add the balsamic. Use a spoon to move the mixture around the pan and let cook about 30 seconds. Add the crushed tomatoes, basil and sugar. Stir well. Get a hard simmer going and simmer for 5 minutes stirring only 2 times during the 5 minute period. After the 5 minutes add your drained pasta to this and mix together. Serve. Yummy.