Great quality ingredients are what make this pasta dish delicious. A good white wine, unsalted chicken stock, and the pasta cooking liquid are what pull the sauce together for this dish. It’s just about keeping it simple. This is my Pappardelle With Sweet Italian Sausage, Fresh Mozzarella, And Basil.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Equipment: 1 (10-inch) sauté pan with a glass lid, indoor grill-pan, a rondeau (braising pan), 1 (6-quart) saucepot, colander, heavy grill press, chef’s knife, cutting board, meat-safe cutting board

Ingredients:
1 pound of sweet Italian sausage, grilled and sliced
1 pound of Pappardelle pasta
8 ounces of fresh Mozzarella (cut into1-inch cubes)
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 leek (about 1 cup) cleaned and thinly sliced into half-moons
1/2 cup of red onion, finely diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup of red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup of orange bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1/4 cup of yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper, freshly-ground
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 cup of Pinot Grigio
1 1/2 cups of chicken stock, unsalted
Garnishes:
1 cup of fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons of Italian flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped

Instructions:
Prep all the vegetables first. Clean and slice the leeks, finely dice the red onion, bell peppers, and mince the garlic. Transfer all the vegetables to a large plate and set aside.

Prep the fresh herbs and dice the fresh Mozzarella cheese into 1-inch cubes. Transfer into 2 small bowls. Set aside.

To prepare the sausage, prick each one with a fork approximately three times on each side. Place the links into a small sauté pan. Cover with 1/2 cup of unsalted chicken broth. Cover and turn the heat to medium-high. Poach the sausage links in the broth for about 10 minutes or until the links are no longer pink and the internal temperature reads 150°F.

Transfer the sausage links to a plate. Preheat an indoor grill pan over medium-high heat. Arrange all the sausage links on the grill pan. Place a grill press over the links to ensure even grilling. Grill for 2-3 minutes, per side. Once all the links have grill marks on both sides, transfer the links again to a plate. Carefully remove the hot grill pan from the stovetop. Slice the grilled links on a bias and transfer them to a bowl.

In a preheated large rondeau (braising pan) over medium-high heat, add the olive oil, dried oregano, fennel seeds, and crushed red pepper flakes. Add the sliced leeks to the pan, stirring frequently. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until soft.

Next, add the diced red onion and bell peppers; season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Continue cooking for 3-5 minutes or until all the veggies have softened. Finally, add the minced garlic, stir, and cook for 1 minute.

Have a pot of salted boiling water ready on the back burner.

Add white wine, unsalted chicken stock, and grilled sliced sausage. Bring everything to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.

In the meantime, drop the pasta. Cook the pasta to al dente, following the instructions, for about 10 minutes.

Once the pasta is al dente, transfer the pasta using a pair of tongs to the pan containing the grilled sausage and vegetables. Toss the pasta through. The pasta may absorb most of the liquid. If this is the case, add 1 or 2 ladles of the starchy pasta cooking liquid and toss. Turn the heat off, and transfer to a large serving platter. Add the diced fresh mozzarella, basil leaves, and finely chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

There you have it, my Pappardelle With Sweet Italian Sausage, Fresh Mozzarella, and Basil.

Note:
1) Linda Lou Hamel is not a nutritionist or dietitian, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. If calorie count and nutritional value are important to you, I recommend running the ingredients through the online nutritional calculator of your choice. Calories and values can vary depending on the brands you choose.

https://lindalouhamel.com/2019/07/10/summer-time-flowers-and-herbs/