Tonight's Dinner: Rao's Pasta with Spicy Sausage Sauce

I adapted the following from the Rao's Cookbook by Frank Pellegrino. This was really excellent. Not one drop left.

Rao's Pasta with Spicy Italian Sausage Sauce

Sauce:

6 Hot Italian Sausages*

1/4 cup good quality olive oil

2/3 cup onion, chopped

1.5 cups dry white wine**

2-28 oz cans San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

Salt, to taste

6 fresh basil leaves, torn

Pinch dried oregano

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Pasta:

1 lb papparadelle pasta, or big shape***

2 tbsp freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Cheese, to pass at table

Remove casings from sausages and break them into small chunks. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over MED-HIGH heat. Add onion and sauté for 3 minutes or until translucent. Stir in sausage and sauté for about 5 minutes or until light brown.

Drain off excess fat and add wine. Stir to combine. Raise heat and bring to a boil. Cook for 3 minutes or until liquid reduces slightly.

Add tomatoes and salt. Return to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until the sauce starts to thicken. Stir in basil, oregano, pepper. Taste and re-season if necessary.

While sauce is simmering, cook the pasta just shy of the time on the package.

Drain pasta, return to pot. Over MED-HIGH heat, stir in 1/2 cup of the sauce and using a wooden spoon, toss together for 1 minute. Remove from heat and pour into a large serving bowl. Spoon remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with romano cheese. Pass more on the table.

Risa’s notes:

*original calls for 6 Hot or Sweet, I used Chicken Italian Sausages that weren’t spicy

**original calls for dry white wine, all I had was red so that is what I used

*** original calls for papparadelle, I used a big shape instead

Yield: 4-6 servings

Source: adapted from The Rao’s Cookbook by Frank Pellegrino

Posted by RisaG 8/1/12