KITCHEN DETECTIVE
Fall. Mushrooms. Tomatoes. Sausage. Pasta. Those were the marching orders this week: to come up with a hearty fall pasta dish that used those ingredients now that pesto and other lighter pasta dishes are behind us.
Starting with the base flavors, we tried adding onion and shallot to our pasta dish, but one medium-sized onion held up better in terms of flavor and texture. We tried both diced and sliced, and thought the sliced worked better with this sauce.
We cut the onion pole to pole, and then cut each half into 1/4-inch slices. As expected, we definitely needed to saute the onion until the slices were very tender and sweet and slightly browned at the edges. If added to the sauce raw, they contribute little in terms of flavor and take more than 30 minutes to soften.
We expected garlic would be a big hit in our sauce, which didn't turn out to be the case. In small amounts, it was totally lost, and if we increased the amount, it was intrusive. The sauce was full flavored and delicious without it.
We wanted the mushrooms to be the focus of our sauce. To that end, we tried many different varieties in looking for big mushroom flavor and texture that was tender, but not mushy, after simmering in the sauce. Our favorite variety proved to be crimini, as it has great earthy flavor and a very nice texture when cooked. (Oyster and shitake mushrooms also worked if used alongside crimini.) For our 1 pound of pasta, we went with 12 ounces of mushrooms, which we wiped clean and cut into 1/4-inch slices. As with the onion, we thought they were better in terms of flavor and texture if first sauteed. We added them to our pan once the onion was softened.
With our pound of pasta and 12 ounces of mushrooms, we needed one 28-ounce can of tomato. We prefer those packed in juice rather than puree for a brighter, fresher flavor. In fact, for best tomato flavor we used whole peeled tomatoes packed in juice, which we finely chop either by hand or in a food processor or pass through a food mill. Progresso and Muir Glen are among our favorite brands.
As for herbs, we tried adding sage and rosemary to our pasta sauce. In both cases, they seemed too big and woodsy, and in the end we passed. We did, however, like the addition of chopped fresh parsley at the finish to add fresh flavor. We also tested adding both cream and wine or marsala, but both offered no improvement.
As we tested versions of the sauce, we found two additions we very much favored. The first was sausage, which adds great flavor as well as substance. We most preferred hot Italian sausage, although you may use sweet if you prefer. Rather than crumbled, we preferred slices for the texture as well as visual appeal - they match the mushroom slices. Raw sausage is very difficult to slice, but we found if we browned them first, they could easily be cut into neat slices. Once sliced, we then browned both ends for best flavor.
We also liked the addition of green peas, which contributes a sweet flavor and nice burst of color. We list them as a variation of our master recipe.
PASTA WITH MUSHROOMS AND SAUSAGE
The sauce for this dish can be made ahead of time, but once the pasta is added it should be served straight away. Leftovers can be gently heated in a saute pan until warmed through.
INGREDIENTS:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound hot Italian sausage
1 medium onion halved pole-to-pole and each half cut into 1/4-inch slices
12 ounces crimini mushrooms wiped clean and cut into 1/4-inch slices or a mixture of crimini, and oyster and/or shitake
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes finely chopped in a food processor or passed in a food mill
1 pound gemeli or penne pasta
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
Place a large pot of salted water over high heat to boil. Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the sausage and cook until medium brown on all sides, about five minutes. Remove to a cutting board. Holding the sausage with a meat fork, cut into 1/2-inch slices. Return to pan and brown the cut sides, flip and brown second side, about four minutes total. Transfer to paper towel-lined dish and set aside.
Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat and lower the heat to medium. Add remaining tablespoon of oil and the onion, and stir to coat evenly. Saute, stirring often, until very soft and beginning to brown lightly around the edges, about five minutes. Add the mushrooms and salt, and stir to combine. Saute, stirring often, until the mushrooms are tender and their juices are evaporated, about six minutes. Add the tomato and bring to a simmer. Cook until the sauce is thickened slightly and the flavors have melded, about 10 minutes. Add the sausage back to the pan.
When water is boiling, add the pasta and cook to within two minutes of the al dente directions. Drain and add pasta to saute pan. Alternatively, if your saute pan is not large enough to hold the pasta and sauce together, you can use the pasta cooking pot instead. Fold pasta and sauce together over low heat until the pasta is well coated with the sauce, about two minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding salt as needed. Serve immediately with a sprinkling of parsley and grated Parmesan cheese on each serving.
Serves 4.
SWEET PEA VARIATION
Add 2 cups frozen sweet peas to the sauce five minutes after the tomatoes have been added.
