Spaghetti with Fresh Sausage

by Susan Hanna

This recipe from Food and Wine combines fresh sausage meat with a savoury tomato sauce. Marinate the sausage meat in wine, garlic and spices. Brown the sausage and add the vegetables, more wine and tomatoes. Simmer the sauce while you cook the pasta. Add the drained pasta to the sauce along with cheese, basil, parsley and pasta cooking water, if needed. Serve hot, garnished with more basil and parsley.

Serves 6.

Avoiding Additives and Preservatives

I used a white wine from Frogpond Farm that has a sulfite count under 10 parts per million. I used Free From hot Italian sausages. Check the dried spices to make sure they don’t contain colour or anti-caking agents. Unico tomatoes are additive-free. Genuine Parmigiano-Reggiano is free of additives; look for the name stamped on the rind. For more recipes using all-natural ingredients, visit Eye For a Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 4 garlic cloves, grated (about 1 tablespoon/15 ml)
• 1 1/3 cups (332.5 ml) dry white wine, divided
• 1 pound (454 g) sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) ground fennel
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) black pepper
• ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml) crushed red pepper
• ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup/160 ml)
• 1 small carrot, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup/82.5 ml)
• 1 celery stalk, finely chopped (about ¼ cup/60 ml)
• 1 (28-ounce/796 ml) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained and crushed
• 1 (14.5-ounce/411 g) can whole peeled tomatoes, undrained and crushed
• 1/8 teaspoon (0.6 ml) kosher salt
• 1 pound (454 g) uncooked spaghetti
• 2 ounces (57 g) Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (about ½ cup)
• ¼ cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil, plus small leaves for garnish
• 1 cup (250 ml) chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, plus more for garnish

Preparation:

1. Stir together garlic and 1/3 cup (82.5 ml) wine in a large bowl. Add sausage, fennel, black pepper, and crushed red pepper; stir well to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 12 hours.
2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium until shimmering. Increase heat to high, and add sausage mixture; cook, stirring occasionally to break up clumps, until lightly browned, 6 to 7 minutes. Stir in onion, carrot, and celery; cook, stirring often, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add remaining 1 cup wine; cook, scraping up any browned bits on bottom of the skillet, until wine is nearly evaporated, 5 to 6 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes with juices and salt. Bring mixture to a simmer over high; reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and reduced by about half, 30 to 35 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high. Add spaghetti; cook according to package directions for al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain pasta, reserving ½ cup (125 ml) cooking liquid. Stir spaghetti into sauce in skillet; stir in cheese, basil, and parsley. Add reserved cooking liquid, ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time, if needed to thin sauce to desired consistency. Increase heat to medium-high; cook, stirring often, until sauce clings to pasta, about 2 minutes. Garnish with additional basil and parsley. Serve hot.

From Food and Wine