Recipe: A week night comfort of Balsamic Mushroom and Sausage Pasta
Serves 4
Hot Italian sausage sings backup to half a kilogram of mushrooms and an entire red onion. Deglazing the pan with balsamic vinegar adds complexity, acidity, and a little sweetness to the sauce in one fell swoop.
Ingredients:
350 g medium tube pasta (such as mezzi rigatoni or pipe rigate)
1 1/2 tsp Kosher salt, divided, plus more
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
4 tbsp unsalted butter, divided
500 g cremini or button mushrooms, cut into pieces
230 g hot Italian sausage
1 large red onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
Finely grated Parmesan (for serving)
Method
1. Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
2. Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp oil and 2 Tbsp butter in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot or skillet over medium-high until butter is melted. Add mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp Kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are browned, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
3. Heat remaining 2 Tbsp oil in the same pot over medium-high. Add sausage and 1/2 tsp Kosher salt. Cook, breaking meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
4. Add red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring often, until combined and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Return mushrooms to pot and add tomato paste and red pepper flakes; season with black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until paste is darkened in colour, about 2 minutes. Pour in vinegar and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot, 30 seconds.
5. Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta, 1/2 cup reserved pasta cooking liquid, and remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Cook, stirring often and adding more pasta cooking liquid a little at a time if needed, until pasta is coated and sauce is glossy, about 30 seconds.
6. Transfer pasta to a platter; top with Parmesan.
Recipe by Kendra Vaculin