As we make our way through Joshua McFadden’s “Six Seasons” we’re adapting and collating here just make sure we don’t forget some of our favorites. As we’ve started to cut back on our meat consumption (and at least one of us has gone completely vegan), we substituted plant-based Beyond sausage in this recipe. It’s very filling and very tasty.
For 2-4 servings you’ll need: 1/2 lb rigatoni pasta, x2 Italian (Beyond) sausage (cut in half and then sliced into 1/4″ pieces), 1/2 lb shiitake or other wild mushrooms (sliced and chopped to your liking), x2 garlic cloves (crushed), 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, olive oil, salt and pepper.
Start a large pot of water on to boil. Once boiling, add a couple tablespoons of salt into the water to make it taste like the ocean. Add the pasta and boil according the package instructions – 12-14 mins. Drain the pasta, but reserve about 1 cup of the water for future use.
In a separate large pot or dutch oven add 3-4 Tbsps over medium heat.
Add the sliced sausage to the heated oil and stir well until golden on all sides, 5-8 mins. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate covered in paper towels to drain, leaving the oil in the bottom of the pot.
Place the crushed garlic in the heated oil and toss well to infuse the oil and just start to brown the garlic. Add mushrooms and a little more oil just to loosen it up, maybe 1 Tbsp. Add salt and pepper to taste and then cook until golden – about 5-8 mins.
Turn off the heat.
Immediately add 1 Tbsp butter and about 2-3 Tbsp reserved pasta water and stir the mixture around well to create a silky sauce. Add in the cooked pasta and sausage, stir to coat, and then add the parmesan cheese, another 1 Tbsp butter and another 2-3 Tbsp of the reserved pasta water to coat everything in a sauce – add more water to loosen it up if needed.
Transfer to a larger serving bowl and enjoy.
Dinner at Our Place 