Spicy Baked Pasta with Sausage Ragù
FROM SUBSTACK
This recipe will make enough sauce for a full pound of pasta, which will feed a crowd, and can be baked in a large (3-quart) baking dish. I chose to make a small batch, using half the sauce and 8 ounces of pasta, which was plenty for 2 of us, with leftovers. If you make a small batch, freeze half the sauce for the future.
Serves 4 to 6
For the sauce:
1 ounce (1 small bag) dried porcini mushrooms
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large or 2 small red onions, finely chopped
1 large or 2 small carrots, finely chopped
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 large sprigs thyme
8 ounces button or cremini mushrooms, trimmed and quartered
3 or 4 garlic cloves, minced
14 ounces (4 links) sweet Italian turkey sausage, removed from casings
1/2 cup dry red wine (or white if that’s what you have open)
1 (26-ounce) box or can crushed tomatoes
1 cup whole milk
Red pepper flakes, to taste
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the pasta:
8 ounces strozzapreti (or similar long or tubular pasta)
3 ounces (about 3/4 cup) grated mozzarella (not fresh mozzarella)
1/2 ounce (about 1/2 fluffy cup) grated Parmesan
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh Italian parsley
Make the sauce: Place the dried mushrooms in a 1-cup liquid measuring cup. Pour boiling water over them, filling the cup. Let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Lift the mushrooms from the liquid and chop them. Set aside, reserving the liquid.
Heat a large, straight-sided skillet over medium heat. Add the oil, onion, carrot, celery, and thyme and stir to combine. Raise the heat if needed to get a good sizzle going, but be careful not to let it burn. Adjust the heat as needed. Cook, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are turning golden brown and quite soft, about 15 minutes.
Add the fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring, about 5 minutes longer, until wilted. Add the garlic and porcini mushrooms and cook until the garlic is golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes.
Add the sausage and cook, stirring and breaking it up with a spoon, until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add the wine and cook until absorbed, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the porcini liquid, the tomatoes, the milk, and a big pinch of red pepper flakes. Use 1 cup of water to rinse the tomato can and add it too. The sausage adds plenty of salt to this dish, so hold off until the end to add any more.
Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to maintain a bare simmer, and cook, partially covered, for 45 minutes, or until thickened and flavorful. Season to taste with salt and pepper and more red pepper flakes. Remove the thyme sprigs. If using only half of the sauce, remove the other half to a storage container (about 3 ½ cups), leaving the rest in the pot.
Heat the oven to 375°F. Cook the pasta until al dente (shave a few minutes off of the time given on the package, and test frequently). Add the pasta to the sauce and stir to coat well.
Transfer to a 2-quart baking dish, sprinkle the mozzarella and Parmesan on top, and place on a small baking sheet. Bake for 35 minutes until golden brown on top and bubbling around the edges. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve immediately.
