Creamy Sausage Pasta

• porții: 4 servings
• timp activ: 5 minutes
• timp total: 20 minutes

Ingrediente

Salt, for pasta water

250 g (9 oz) fresh lasagne sheets, or pasta of your choice (see note 1)

2 tbsp olive oil

450 g (1 lb) Italian pork sausages (mild or spicy), casings removed

1 tbsp freshly minced garlic

1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated puree)

½ cup (125 ml) dry white wine (or more chicken stock)

1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock

1 tbsp Italian mixed herbs (Italian seasoning)

½ tsp crushed chilli (red pepper) flakes (optional)

1 cup (250 ml) thickened (heavy) cream

½ cup (50 g) freshly grated parmesan, plus extra to serve

Sea salt flakes, to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

Instrucțiuni

Cook the pasta – Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil.

If using fresh lasagne sheets –

If using fresh lasagne sheets, prepare them by cutting or tearing them into strips, roughly 2.5 cm (1 inch) thick. Cook them AFTER you have prepared the sauce. They will only need 30–60 seconds and can then be drained and added directly to the sauce.

If using regular pasta –

If you are using regular pasta, cook the pasta as per the packet instructions, less 1 minute. Drain well. They will continue cooking in the sauce.

Make the sauce – Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.

Add the sausages and cook, breaking them into small pieces with a spatula or wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, until browned and cooked through.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.

Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1–2 minutes to caramelise it and enhance its flavour.

Add the white wine (or chicken stock) and let it simmer for 2–3 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze and pick up any browned bits.

Once most of the wine has evaporated, add the chicken stock. Cook for 2–3 minutes until it has reduced by half.

Stir in the Italian mixed herbs and crushed chilli flakes, if using.

Add the cream, stirring well to combine, and let the sauce simmer for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.

Add the cheese, season and serve – Stir in the grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat off, add the cooked pasta and stir it through the sauce. Garnish with the basil.

The pasta will begin to absorb the sauce the longer it sits (although leftovers taste amazing the next day!). It is best served immediately, with extra parmesan if desired.

Note

Note 1 – Fresh lasagne sheets (found in the refrigerator section at the supermarket) can be cut into strips to create amazing, thick, flat pasta resembling pappardelle. Fresh sheets cook quickly, and only need 30–60 seconds in salted boiling water to cook through. This method will not work with dry lasagne sheets. Alternatively, you can use regular dried pasta, such as pappardelle, rigatoni or thick fettuccine. See the recipe for timings (cook regular pasta prior to making the sauce, cook fresh lasagne sheets after making the sauce). You can use up to 350 g (12½ oz) of pasta in this recipe if you wish to make more substantial, larger serving sizes.

Make Ahead

Creamy sausage pasta is best made fresh, however leftovers are incredible the next day. I recommend making the meal as per the recipe and following the leftover storage instructions below, if you wish to make it ahead of time.

Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat leftovers gently on the stovetop or in the microwave. Add a little splash of milk, cream or chicken stock to the pasta when reheating to keep the sauce creamy and prevent it from drying out.

Freezing the pasta is not recommended as it can become mushy. Leftover Creamy Sausage Pasta can be transformed into a pasta bake. Simply place it in a baking dish, top with extra cheese (mozzarella works well), and bake at 200°C (400°F) (180°C/350°F fan-forced) for about 20 minutes until bubbly and golden.

Nutriție

• Dimensiune porție: one pan
• Calorii: 765
• Grăsime totală: 56.6 g
• Grăsime saturată: 22.5 g
• Grăsime trans: 0.4 g
• Colesterol: 128.4 mg
• Sodiu: 1678.9 mg
• Carbohidrați totali: 30.7 g
• Fibre dietetice: 3.4 g
• Zaharuri totale: 3 g
• Proteine: 26 g