Sausage Pasta

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g bratwurst (salsiccia), alternatively coarse, raw sausages
• 1 tbsp chili flakes
• 1 can of tomatoes, chopped
• 2 tomatoes
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion(s)
• ½ tube(s) tomato paste
• 1 small chili pepper(s)
• 150 ml dry white wine
• 1 shot of balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 500 g pasta, nB spaghetti, penne, fusili…
• 3 dashes olive oil
• 6 basil leaves
• Parmesan

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 10 minutes

Since salsiccia (Italian sausage meat) is hard to come by here, I usually make the dish myself using coarse, thick, raw sausages. To remove the sausage meat from the casing, I cut it lengthwise and peel off the casing; this is the easiest way. Sprinkle the sausage meat on a plate with chili flakes and knead it well with a fork. If you don’t like it spicy, you can omit the chili altogether; it tastes great too. Finely chop the onions, garlic, and chili pepper and fry them in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Once the onions are translucent, add the tomato paste and fry. Once it starts to brown slightly on the bottom of the pan, deglaze with the white wine. Roughly dice the fresh tomatoes and add them to the pan. Now let the sauce simmer slightly, add the canned tomatoes and the bay leaf, stir, and let simmer for another 15-20 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the pasta and drain it 3-5 minutes before the specified cooking time, depending on how firm you want it to be. I remove it from the heat when it’s still firm in the middle. Do not rinse it; return it from the colander to the pot and drizzle with a few drops of olive oil. Now remove the bay leaf from the tomato sauce and puree the sauce with a hand blender until finely chopped. Then add salt and pepper to taste, add the balsamic vinegar and oregano, and bring back to a boil briefly. Then turn off the stove and let it simmer. Heat a pan and fry the sausage meat without any fat, roughly crumbling it with a wooden spoon. When it’s lightly browned, add it to the pasta, add the sauce, and mix well in the pot over medium heat. Divide the pasta between plates and sprinkle with roughly torn basil leaves and, if desired, Parmesan cheese. Serve with a crisp salad.