Categories: Meals
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 oz. Cremini Mushrooms
- 1 Shallot
- 2 Basil Sprigs
- 2 Parsley Sprigs
- 12 oz. Italian Sausage
- 6 oz. Farfalle Pasta
- 1/2 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
- 2 oz. Red Cooking Wine
- 1 Diced Tomatoes, Canned
- 1 1/2 oz. Mascarpone Cheese
- 1 1/2 oz. Parmesan Cheese,
- Grated
Directions
-
Bring a medium pot of light salted water to a boil. Put a colander in the sink. Thoroughly rinse produce and pat dry. Cut mushrooms into 1/4" slices. Peel and mince shallot. Stem basil, stack leaves, and slice across the length to create very thin strips (chiffonade). Stem parsley. Rinse and slice each sausage link into 5 pieces.
-
Heat 1 tsp. olive oil in a medium pan over medium heat and cook sliced Italian sausage for about 5-7 minutes, or until a minimum internal temperature of 160 degrees is reached. Transfer sausages to a plate and set aside. Drain off all but 2 tsp. of rendered fat from sausages for cooking mushrooms.
-
Add pasta to boiling salted water and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente (Italian for “to the tooth”, meaning it still has a little bite or firmness). Drain in a colander, return to pot, toss with 1 tsp. olive oil, and set aside.
-
Heat pan with rendered fat over medium heat. Add mushrooms and shallot and cook until mushrooms have released their moisture and shallots have softened, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes (use a pinch at first, then add more to taste). Add red cooking wine, and cook for another minute, scraping caramelized meats and vegetables from bottom of pan. Using wine to loosen caramelized bits of food, called “fond”, from the pan is called “deglazing” and is a classic cooking technique.
-
Add canned tomatoes and their juices, mascarpone, grated Parmesan (reserving 2 tsp. for garnish), and cooked Italian sausage. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes while stirring continuously. Stir in basil (reserving a bit for garnish) and warm through.
-
In a bowl or plate, place a serving of pasta. Ladle a generous portion of sauce over the pasta. Garnish with parsley, remaining basil, and remaining Parmesan cheese.