Orecchiette with Sausage and Peas

Orecchiette with sausage and peas is an easy pasta dish that can come together in about 30 minutes, that’s a plus on a busy weeknight. Orecchiette isn’t the easiest pasta to pronounce but the shape lends well to so many pasta recipes. It translates to “little ears” and they have a little indent that can hold sauce and in this recipe the sausage and peas. Enjoy!

ORECCHIETTE WITH SAUSAGE, PEAS & PARMIGIANO-REGGIANO

Recipe by Mark Calaminici | Food Loves Company

Serves 4

Ingredients

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 hot or mild sausages, casings removed

½ small sweet onion, finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Salt, to taste

Freshly cracked pepper, to taste

Chili flakes, to taste

¼ cup dry white wine, optional

1lb Orecchiette

150g fresh or frozen peas

80g Parmigiano-Reggiano, finely grated

Method

1. In a large frying pan over medium heat, heat extra virgin olive oil. Add the sausage and with the edge of your wooden spoon break the sausage into small pieces as it cooks. When the sausage is about halfway cooked, add the onions, garlic, chili flakes and season with salt and freshly cracked pepper. Continue to cook until the onions are tender. Add white wine (optional) to deglaze the pan and continue to cook to reduce the wine by half.

2. Cook the Orecchiette in a large pot of boiling salted water. Reserve pasta water.

3. As the pasta is cooking, add a ladle of pasta water to the pan. This will help create our sauce. Remove the pasta a couple minutes before al dente to finish cooking it in the pan. Add the pasta to the pan and toss to incorporate all the ingredients, adding more pasta water if needed. Add peas and continue to mix and toss, adding more pasta water if needed. Remove pan from heat and add Parmigiano-Reggiano a handful at a time, mixing and tossing. Garnish with freshly cracked pepper and more Parmigiano-Reggiano. Enjoy!