Pasta with Sausage and Shiitake Mushroom Sauce

As I tasted this one, I had to ask myself why I've never made a pasta sauce with sausage and shiitakes before. It is out of this world!

1 1/4 lbs Italian sausage, removed from casing and crumbled
1 onion, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced
1 t each: oregano and basil, rubbed
1 bay leaf
sugar and salt to taste
1 large can (28 oz) tomato sauce
1 cup beef broth
6 oz package shiitake mushrooms, sliced
1 lb package pasta, cooked and drained (I used rotini) and returned to hot cook pot

Brown sausage and onion in a large frying pan or skillet. Drain well. Stir in garlic, cook another minute or so. Stir in herbs, sugar and salt and increase heat to high. Stir in tomato sauce and broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1-2 hours, stirring frequently, til sauce is nice and thick. http://media-files.gather.com/images/d2/d348/d745/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

During last 20 minutes, stir in mushrooms.

Remove bay leaf. Mix a generous couple ladles full of sauce with pasta in pasta cookpot. Serve with additional sauce.

I served the pasta with salads with homemade ranch, freshly ground black pepper and beets alongside fresh garlic toast.http://media-files.gather.com/images/d1/d348/d745/d224/d96/f3/full.jpghttp://media-files.gather.com/images/d998/d347/d745/d224/d96/f3/full.jpg

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

~Big Al's~ Subs

Image
 I was inspired by this article from my sister Rob, who explains who Big Al is and what he has meant to legions of hungry people in a small town: http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.jsp?articleId=281474977272353&nav=Namespace What makes Big Al's subs better than any others that I have tried are the buns. He uses the same dough recipe as he does for the pizza. This is what I have tried to recreate here. I also made the sub sauce, which is near world famous. I don't think anyone who orders a sub from Big Al's does not also get a side of the sauce. (Well, other than me, but Matt likes it, so of course I had to make it). This is my version of the Big Al's Special complete with sub sauce. Homemade Sub Buns (recipe follows) Capicola Genoa Salami Provolone Cheese Lettuce, tomato and onion Pepperoncini (optional. They aren't authentic to an Al's) Al's Sub Sauce (recipe follows) Homemade Sub Buns I use this pizza dough recipe, which I really like:...
Read more

Mario Batali's Pasta with Roasted Cauliflower

Image
This pasta was absolutely fantastic! 1/2 head cauliflower, broken into florets olive oil, divided salt and freshly ground black pepper 3 garlic cloves, minced 2 anchovies 1 small (14.5 oz) can diced tomatoes 2 cups hot cooked pasta (I used cavatappi) 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan chopped fresh parsley leaves pinch saffron 1 T pine nuts, lightly toasted Preheat oven to 350°. Place cauliflower on a large baking pan and drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for about 15-20 minutes or til lightly golden. Remove and set aside. In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Cook garlic for a few seconds; mix in anchovies, tomato and garlic. Stir til the anchovies dissolve, about 5 minutes. Toss hot pasta with cauliflower, anchovie mixture, parsley, Parmesan, parsley and saffron. Taste and adjust as desired. Stir in pine nuts and serve immediately. I served the pasta with grilled Texas toast.
Read more

Magic Cookie Bars Recipe

Image
One of my favorite cookie bars of all! 1/2 cup butter, melted 1 1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed Milk 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips 1 1/3 cups flaked sweetened coconut 1 cup chopped walnuts Preheat oven to 350°. Coat 13x9" baking pan with non stick cooking spray. Combine vanilla wafer crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a spatula. Bake 25 minutes or til lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars.
Read more