Mary's Pasta

This pasta is perfect for a date. It’s simple to make, but complex in taste. It is spoiling but not overly heavy, and its richness is cut with a little kick. The tomato sauce base is really the only way to make marinara (so take note!), but the tiny dash of cream cuts out any astringency. Hot sausage and browned mushrooms add depth without being too “beefy”. The fusilli shape scoops up sauce in its corkscrew sides, but is easily eaten with a fork. It’s casual in nature, but a real treat to eat. I’m telling you – boy or girl – this is your date dinner. 

Don’t believe me? Well I started making it in college. My roommate called in 2013 asking for the recipe because she wanted to serve it to a date. They got married.  

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Mary's Pasta

Mary's Pasta
Yield: Serves 4 (2 tonight and 2 tomorrow!)
Author:

A bright tomato based pasta with hot italian sausage and browned mushrooms.

Time

  • Prep: 5 minutes
  • Cook: 1 hour
  • Total: 1 hour 5 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1lb hot Italian sausage
  • 2 cups sliced crimini mushrooms
  • 1 25oz bottle tomato passata
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • A fistful of basil
  • 2 tsp red pepper flakes
  • ¼ cup cream
  • 1lb fusilli pasta

Recipe

  1. Pour the passata into a small pot. Smash the garlic cloves and add to pot along with basil, pepper flakes, a whoosh of olive oil and a big pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer on low for as long as you can, stirring often. Try to do it 15-30 mins with a max of about an hour.
  2. In another pot heat a little olive oil on medium heat. Add the sausage, break it up with a spoon and brown all over. Remove sausage from pot and place on a paper towel lined plate. Then, in the sausage fat, sauté the mushrooms until nicely browned: about 4 minutes. Remove mushrooms and set aside.
  3. Remove the basil and garlic from the tomato sauce. Add the sauce, sausage and mushrooms to the big pot. Season with salt and pepper and pour in cream. Stir and keep on lowest heat.
  4. Boil the pasta to al dente according to package directions. As you are draining it, reserve a cup of pasta water in case you need it. Add the pasta to the sauce pot and stir. If the mixture seems dry add a splash of pasta water.
  5. Serve to your crush (with a sprinkle of parmesan if you like!) and be prepared to PASTA time away, caNOODLing until the wee hours of TOMATO.
Mary Bell Clementdinner