My Sausage Pasta

What I love about this recipe is that it is just a blueprint! You can add bits, change bits and make it your own. The recipe below is the original pasta dish that was loved by many. Since then, I have adapted it, added to it, changing it almost every time I have made it. For example, I have tried adding Fennel, sesame oil or chilli oil to add some heat. I have loved all of them but if I am honest, the original is still my very favourite.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 500g Pasta ( I prefer penne or rigatoni )

• 6-8 Sausages (depending on the size)

• 4 shallots, finely chopped

• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced

• White wine (I like chardonnay)

• Parmesan

• Fresh Rosemary

• Fresh Parsley

• Salt and Pepper

• Olive oil

Method

STEP 1.

Pop a glug of olive oil in the pan on medium heat, not too much as the sausages will bring their own fatty goodness. Squeeze the sausage meat out of their cases, into the pan and bash up into little bits. Once the sausage meat has turned golden or the smaller bits are crispy and the bigger bits have a bit of colour, add a splash of wine to deglaze the pan, giving it a good scrape with a wooden spoon to get all the tasty bits off the bottom. Once the alcohol has cooked away, remove all the sausage and as much of the crispy bits as possible from the pan, and pop to the side.

STEP 2.

In the same pan, pop another glug of olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and season with a pinch of salt. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent, with a bit of colour, then turn the heat down low. Deglaze with a splash of wine and carry on cooking on low heat.

STEP 3.

Get your pasta on !!! With lots of salt in the water. Do NOT throw away your pasta water once it is cooked; it is used later in the recipe.

STEP 4.

Whilst your pasta cooks, go back to the saucepan. Add the chopped herbs, and cooked sausage meat and season well. If the pan needs deglazing ( If anything is sticking to the bottom), add a splash of wine. Cook together for another few minutes.

STEP 5.

The next few steps are a bit of a guessing and tasting game! Keep the heat low. Start adding a bit of pasta water and wine and reducing it down. This step takes a bit of time, so be patient until you have a gorgeous silky sauce.

STEP 6.

Add some Parmesan, fresh herbs, salt and lots of pepper to taste. All of these ingredients can be added depending on personal preference. A little at a time is best, tasting in between until it is how you want it!

STEP 7.

Throw your cooked pasta into the pan with the sauce and a little bit of pasta water on very low heat. Stirring and combining the pasta with the sauce until completely emulsified, glossy and yummy looking!!

NOTES

• When it comes to the sausage, I’m all about quality. Splurging on a well-seasoned or even pre-flavoured sausage really makes a difference. Trust me, from the flavour to how perfectly they crisp up in the pan, it’s worth the extra pennies.

• Now, about the parmesan: I like to keep it light. I know some people love piling on the cheese, but for me, too much parmesan can overpower the dish. The pasta already tastes amazing, so let’s not overdo it. Besides, everyone can add more cheese once it’s on the plate, right?

• I used to add cream to this recipe, but I’ve since ditched it. You can get that silky, rich sauce without the cream, and I think it keeps the pasta lighter and more balanced. That said, if you’re a cream-in-pasta fan, go ahead and add it when you add the pasta water—no judgment!