recipe – italian sausage pasta

I have no idea how the Instagram algorithm works- like no fucking clue. How a gorgeous dry aged ribeye steak from a 4 star restaurant gets a couple hundred likes versus my homemade stupid Italian sausage pasta which has now almost 2K. Like, baffling. Anyway, here’s the recipe for those that have bombarded my comments and inbox. You’re welcome, Instagram.

You should probably have most of these ingredients at home, minus the Italian sausage (full ingredient list below). Feel free to play around with it – use ground beef if you prefer that, or add vegetables – whatever your little heart desires.

I found this spicy Italian sausage at my local grocery store on sale and bought it on a whim. I’d say use about a pound of meat of your choice.

While you’re chopping the onion and garlic, boil your pasta (al dente because you’ll finish cooking it in the sauce).

If you’re lazy like me, and hate doing the dishes, wait for the pasta to cook and leave it in the strainer. You can do the rest of the dish in the same pot. Put just a smidge of vegetable oil in a pot on high (preferably not non-stick, because you want that shit to stick). Once hot, remove sausage from casing and try to flatten it down.

Now.. Do. Not. Touch. At least for a few minutes. You want the meat to stick to the pot and create the little tasty brown bits (fond). Once you see it’s browning, you can mix it around a little more and try to chop it up with a wooden spoon.

Once cooked through, remove meat to the side. You should have some brown pieces stuck to the bottom, and a nice amount of fat. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to clean up the pan real soon. And make sure you eyeball the amount of fat you have, because you’ll need to use the same amount of flour afterwards.

Throw the onions in the fat on medium. Hey – I never said this recipe was healthy. Let them get slightly translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic and keep stirring for a few minutes more.

See, I told you it’d pick up all that flavor! Since I used such a huge ass onion, I removed about half to the side. You can go to the next step without doing that if you have less. It’s just easier to stir this way.

Now add just about the same amount of flour as fat from the original drippings. Keep stirring until it turns into almost paste.

This is the part that people can fuck up on – adding the liquid to the roux (your “paste”). Literally add a splash of milk at a time on medium heat, then keep stirring. It should slowly start to liquify. Once it gets thinner and thinner, slow down and let it meld together a little more. This is also where you should season (salt/pepper/garlic powder/onion powder/any herbs you wish). Once it coats your spoon, turn heat to low.

Add back your meat mixture and stir. Taste it! If it needs more flavor, now is the time to add. Once ready, throw in the pasta, mix it around, and you’re done.

You can serve with fresh parsley, parmesan, or whatever you want. Now everyone go leave me alone!

 

—INGREDIENTS—

• 1 lb Italian sausage
• 1 whole onion, chopped
• handful of garlic, chopped
• About a tablespoon of oil
• 3/4 lb pasta of your choice
• About 1/3 cup flour (see below)
• About 2 cups milk (see below)
• Seasonings to taste (salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried herbs, etc)

 

—DIRECTIONS—

1. Boil pasta al dente
2. In a separate pot, add oil on high and wait until fully heated. Remove sausage from casing and try to flatten into the pot (you want as much surface space on the meat). Let sit for about 5 minutes – do not touch! Once starting to brown, you can break up the pieces and continue to cook for about 5 minutes more.
3. Once fully cooked, remove sausage to the side.
4. Take note of how much fat is in the pot, because you will need just about that amount flour later.
5. Add chopped onion into sausage renderings, cook about 5 minutes on medium. Add garlic once transluscent, and cook for a few more minutes. If there is more than about 1/3 cup onions, remove the rest to the side.
6. Add the amount of flour you eyeballed into the fat/onion/garlic mixture. Keep stirring to make a roux.
7. Once it is like a paste, add just a splash of milk at a time, continuously stirring. You don’t want any lumps (besides the onions). Little by little, it should thin out. Once it coats your spoon, but is still liquidy, turn heat low and taste. If seasoning is needed, go ahead and add.
8. Add in the sausage and remaining onions, along with pasta. Mix thoroughly so the sauce is in every crevice of the pasta. Serve!

 

—AMOUNT—

Makes about 4 large servings.