| Portions |
|---|
| Serves 4 |
Ingredients
For the crispy herby parm:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs
- ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
For the pasta:
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 spicy Italian sausages, casings removed
- Salt
- 350g Italpasta gemelli
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 large shallot, finely minced
- Pepper
- 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 1 (156ml) can tomato paste
- ¼ cup vodka
- ½ cup whipping cream
- ½ cup finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped basil
Directions
- For the crispy herby parm, add the oil to a small pan over medium-high heat. Add in the panko and Parmigiano Reggiano and toast, stirring frequently, until golden brown and crisp, about 1 minute. Transfer to a dish to cool then stir in the parsley and basil and set aside.
- For the pasta, place a large high sided pan over medium heat and add in the oil. Add in the sausages and use a wooden spoon to break into a rough crumble. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Season the water very well with salt and add in the pasta. Cook according to the package directions just until al dente and reserve 1 ½ cups of pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, return the high sided pan to medium heat. Melt in the butter and add the shallot to the pan, season with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly golden brown, about 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds before stirring in the tomato paste. Cook for about 2 minutes to further intensify the tomato flavour. Carefully deglaze the pan with the vodka and simmer for 1 minute to allow the alcohol to cook off then turn the heat down to low and stir in the cream.
- Add the pasta to the sauce, along with he cooked sausage. Stir about ½ cup of the pasta cooking liquid into the sauce, adding more if needed to reach a saucy consistency, and finish with the Parmigiano-Reggiano, basil, and a final season of salt and pepper. If the sauce is a little thick after adding the cheese, stir in another splash of the cooking liquid.
- Serve immediately scattered with the crispy herby parm.