There’s nothing quite like making a pasta sauce from scratch. It’s truly gratifying when different ingredients mix together in just the right way to create a medley of flavors in your mouth. This particular pasta can be made a day ahead (we’ve found that it’s just as good the next day as it is when first coming off the stove).
My husband’s Grandmother had such an arsenal of family recipes in her head that as she grew older, his Father made a special effort to watch her cook so he could write down the ingredients and steps as she went along. Capturing those recipes on paper was very important to him as the memories and tastes are unique to their family’s history. For my husband and i, our own memories of this particular dish “sealed the deal,” as they say (we enjoyed this very dish the day we were engaged!)
Coming from Bakers and Restauraters (see: Sarno’s Pasticceria) much love went into the creation of these dishes and most often they were made for their regular Sunday family gatherings. These are true Italian recipes that should be shared & passed down.
As with anything that is created from scratch, it’s best to allow some time. Cutting and chopping can be the most consuming (& I do draw the line at making my own Chicken broth!) This recipe is somewhat modified from the original but the core of it remains in tact.
Italian Sausage Pasta Recipe
4 T or ½ small stick of unsalted organic butter
2 Large Portabella Mushrooms, chopped
2 Cloves of fresh Garlic
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 oz – 10 oz of Organic Chicken Broth (I prefer low sodium)
White Wine
3 Sweet Italian Sausages, casings removed and crumbled
1 White Onion, diced
3 – 4 stalks of celery, chopped
6 – 8 Roma tomatoes, diced
10 – 15 leaves chopped fresh basil
In a deep fry pan, melt all but ½ tbsp. of butter. Add garlic and cook for approx. 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and remaining butter to help coat. Cook until just tender. It’s important not to overcook. Remove from pan and set aside. In same deep pan, add olive oil until bottom of pan is just slightly covered. Put in crumbled sausage and onions. Cook together, chopping further if necessary. Begin adding in chicken broth to keep the mixture feeling moist. Sausage should look like ground beef at this stage. Add touch of White Wine for additional flavor if you so desire. Once meat is cooked, add in tomatoes. Simmer with sausage to distribute flavor for a few minutes. Add celery, basil, salt and pepper. Use a small dicer (or emersion blender) to help liquefy the mixture. Once liquefied, add remaining garlic and mushrooms and mix together.
When mixture is simmering, begin to cook pasta until al dente (as per directions) in heavily salted water. Drain and put back in pot.
Pour sauce over Pasta and mix together. Serve w/ Parmesan cheese.
Salt and Pepper to taste.
