Today is National Pasta Day. While I didn’t make my own pasta, like I did with my Tortelli, Spaetzle, Pappardelle, Pisarei, Maltagliati, Raviola, Gnocchi, and even a Veronese Pasta Cake, I went the route most of us go: buying dry pasta. But, just because you pick up a box of pasta doesn't mean it has to be paired with a less-than-satisfying jar sauce. I mean, you can try my traditional Carbonara, or the Americanized Carbonara, a BBQ Macaroni Salad, the copycat pasta dish I developed after my honeymoon in Italy, Shrimp Scampi, cook some small pasta in a Minestrone Soup or it’s French equivalent with Pistou, make this amazing baked spaghetti, Paccheri with seafood, Bucatini with Sardines and Fennel, or something more exotic in the Iranian dish: Asheh Reshteh. Just don’t forget this simple fall classic below, ok? Tonight I made conchiglie in a creamy mustard sauce with sausage and basil. I LOVE PASTA!
Conchiglie with Sausage & Basil in a Cream Sauce from Food & Wine, Nigel Slater
1.5 lbs sausage
1 lb Conchiglie (medium shelled pasta)
3/4 cup dry white wine
Crushed red pepper flakes
3 tbsp stone ground mustard (I prefer Maille)
3/4 cup heavy cream
Large handful of basil, chiffonade
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Meanwhile, remove the sausage meat from their casing and dice large.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Brown the sausage for about 8 minutes, over moderately high heat. Stirring only once or twice towards the end of the cooking, and breaking up the meat into smaller pieces.
While you cook the sausage, measure out your remaining ingredients.
Once the sausage is about done, the pasta water should be ready. Drop and stir your pasta in the boiling water, about a minute. Cover and cook.
Then, add in the wine to the sausage, lower the heat to medium and reduce by about half. If the wine evaporates too quickly, simply add a little water to the skillet.
Stir the pepper flakes, followed by the mustard, into the skillet. Then add in the cream and simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring often.
Once the pasta is al dente, drain and transfer to the skillet. Coat thoroughly in the sauce, adding in a little pasta water to bring everything together.
Stir in the basil and serve. ______________________________
Copyright 2021, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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