Potato and Italian Sausage Pasta - Testing

1 - tried it once with inconclusive results. Used spaghetti instead of chunky pasta, which was a mistake not to repeat.
2 - Good ratio of starch textures on this one, used the chunky pasta, made all the difference. A few changes to recommend, underlined below.

1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 lb mild Italian sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1 lb potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup white wine
2 garlic cloves, minced
(14oz/398mL) tomatoes or tomato sauce
2 sprigs thyme
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
1/4 cup basil pesto
8 oz short pasta like fusilli
Optional - 1-2 diced fresh tomatoes

1. In a large skillet cook the sausage in the oil, covered, until browned, turning once. After the sausages are browned add the potatoes, onion, salt and pepper. Cover again and stir often to avoid the potatoes sticking.
2. Remove sausages once they are mostly cooked through and cook the potato mixture for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato is cooked.
3. Put the water on to boil the pasta.
4. Meanwhile, slice the sausage into 1 inch chunks.
5. When the potato is cooked, add the white wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any stuck-on browned bits. Add the thyme and the garlic and stir until the garlic becomes fragrant. 
6. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are done. Return the sausage to the pan. Add the pesto and chopped fresh tomato, if using.
7. The final step, add the pasta and mix thoroughly before serving piping hot.