ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE & SPINACH

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE & SPINACH image

Categories Pasta

Yield 6 people

Number Of Ingredients 14

4 Italian Sausages, sweet or spicy, meat removed from casings
Olive oil
1 large onion, cut in quarters and sliced thick
6-8 ounces mushrooms, sliced thick
4 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper
About 1/4 - 1/2 tsp. hot pepper flakes
2 lb. fresh spinach leaves
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 lb Orecchiette pasta
1/4 C Marsala wine
1 C mascarpone cheese
About 1/2- 3/4 cup combined fresh basil, Italian parsley and fresh oregano, chopped
About 1/2 cup freshly grated imported Parmesan

Steps:

In a large pot heat water to boiling for pasta. In a large pan heat about 3 Tbsp olive oil. Add sausage and saute over medium high heat, breaking up sausage into chunks. After 2-3 minutes add onion and saute until onion is soft, about 5-7 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic. Season mixture to taste with salt & pepper, about 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper. Add red pepper flakes and continue to cook a few minutes until mushrooms are cooked but still firm. Remove mixture to bowl. Add spinach to same pan. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add nutmeg. Saute until spinach just begins to wilt, about 1-2 minutes. Remove spinach to bowl with sausage mixture. When water is boiling add about 2 Tbsp. of salt to water and add pasta. Cook until al dente, about 7 minutes. Just before pasta is done add sausage and spinach mixture, along with any accumulated juices, back into the large pan, add Marsala and Mascarpone cheese and heat over medium heat until mixture is hot and cheese is melted. When pasta is done, drain pasta and reserve about 1 Cup of the pasta water. Add orecchiette to the sausage and spinach mixture. Add the herbs and parmesan, stir mixture, and correct seasoning if necessary. If there is not enough sauce (pasta absorbs sauce quickly) add pasta water as necessary to get a nice creamy sauce. Serve with extra grated Parmesan cheese.