serves: 2-3
ingredients:
- crimini or button mushrooms, cut into small chunks or slices
- 1-2 hot italian sausages (can replace with crumbed tofu and spices if vegetarian)
- tomato paste
- minced garlic
- red pepper flakes
- diced onion
- balsamic vinegar
- butter
- olive oil
- parmigiano reggiano or pecorino romano
- pasta of your choice (prefer something round like mezzi rigatoni)
cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. drain and reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
meanwhile, melt some butter with a drizzle of olive oil and saute mushrooms. season with salt and cook until til brown. transfer mushrooms from pan to a small bowl, then heat more olive oil and remove sausage from its casing and cook in pan, breaking up into small pieces with a wooden spoon and seasoning with salt.
once meat is cooked through, add onions and cook til transluscent, then add garlic and stir til fragrant. add reserved mushrooms, tomato paste, and season with red pepper flakes and black pepper. pour in balsamic vinegar (around 1/3 a cup) and deglaze pan. reduce heat and add pasta and 1/2 a cup of pasta water and stir through to create a cohesive sauce. shut off heat entirely and stir through a little more butter til the sauce is glossy and the pasta is coated. serve and top with grated parmigiano reggiano.