"Weeds" with Sausage

   

    

The “weeds” in this sausage pasta dish are so named because of the shape of the pasta. I don’t know what kind of enormous weeds they have in Italy, but I agree with Mario Batali that this pasta looks more like an unraveled, twisted phone cord. Such coiled, hollow pasta is hard for me to fund in local stores, so he recommends fusilli or rotelle, although last night I used a a narrow ziti. The reason this recipe (and picture) from Mario’s Molto Italiano: 327 Simple Italian Recipes to Cook at Home attracted me is that Italian sausage and spaghetti was one of my favorite comfort foods as a kid. However, I do not eat it so much anymore because the acid of the tomato sauce upsets my stomach somewhat. I am growing into the place Italians have been always, sauce based on things other than a heavy dose of tomato sauce as the Americans prefer. This sauce does start with a tomato paste base, but its liquid is provided from white wine and milk, along with some of the pasta cooking liquid. It is a wonderful sauce, still extremely easy, but deeper and more flavorful than any jarred sauce. Try it instead the next time you think of sausage and spaghetti.  Serves 4.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 yellow onion

4 sweet Italian sausage links, removed from casing and broken into pieces

1/2 6-ounce can of tomato paste

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup whole milk

salt/pepper

1/2 pound fusilli or rotelle

freshly grated Parmigiano

Directions:

In a 12- or 14-inch saute pan over low heat, melt the oil and butter and soften the onions for 6 to 8 minutes.  Increase the heat to medium, add the sasage and cook until very brown, about 10 minutes.  Drain most of the fat from the pan and add the tomato paste, stirring often, until a deep rust color, about 5 minutes.  Add the wine, stir, and boil down until almost evaoporated.  Stir in the milk, season with salt and pepper, and reduce the heat to a simmer.  Cover and cook for 15 minutes.  Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente.  Scoop out 1/2 cup of pasta water and then drain the pasta.  Add the pasta to the sauce and toss.  Add some of the cooking water if desired to loosen the sauce.  Divide the pasta among bowls, top with grated Parmesan and serve.