Fusilli with Sausage
Spicy hot sausage and tomato sauce are married with spirals of pasta to make this really tasty dish from southern Italy. Pecorino cheese, with its strong and salty flavor, is the perfect accompaniment, along with a full-bodied red wine and country bread.
Ingredients
400 g / 4 oz. of spicy italian sausages
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of dried mixed herbs
400 g / 14 oz. can of Italian plum tomatoes
1-1 1/4 cups of vegetable stock
2 3/4 (300 g / 11 oz.) of fresh or dried fusilli pasta
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Pecorino cheese, to serve
Preparation
Grill the sausages for 10 – 12 minutes, until they are browned on all sides, then drain them on paper towels.
Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 – 7 minutes, until soft. Add the yellow pepper, paprika and herbs. Cook gently for 5 – 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook over medium heat for 10 – 12 minutes, adding the stock gradually as the sauce reduces.
While the tomato sauce is cooking, cut the grilled sausages diagonally into 1/2 inch pieces.
Add the sausage pieces to the sauce, reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cook the pasta and toss into the pan of sauce. Serve with Pecorino handed separately.
Makes 4 servings.