Pasta with escarole and sausage
Instructions:
- Cook the sausage in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat until cooked through, about 7 minutes, breaking it into bite-sized pieces with the side of a spoon. Drain all but 2 tablespoons of the fat from the skillet. If you happen to have very lean sausage, make up the difference with olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add the wine, tomatoes, and escarole. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes, crushing the tomatoes with the side of the spoon. Add the cream and parsley. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm while the pasta cooks. Be sure the sauce does not boil after the cream is added.
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions, stopping 2 minutes short of the recommended cooking time. Drain the pasta well, stir into the sauce, and simmer until the pasta is al dente. Stir in the cheese. Serve hot, sprinkled with additional cheese and a few pepper flakes.
- Variation: You can replace the cooked pasta with 4 cups of cooked white beans or other shell beans. You can replace the sweet Italian sausage with sliced smoked sausage browned in 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- What else works? You can replace some or all of the escarole with another blanched sturdy green, such as kale or mustard. You could also use a leafy green that does not need to be blanched, such as spinach or arugula.
- Tips and Techniques. Cook with a wine you would be willing to drink, although that doesn’t have to mean expensive. When a recipe calls for red wine, I avoid those that are very tannic. I try to match the level of fruitiness and sweetness (if any) to the recipe. When a recipe calls for white wine, I often turn to an unoaked American Sauvignon Blanc because I think it is food friendly and will enhance nearly any dish. If you need only a little wine for a recipe and don’t want to open a bottle, stock up on the small picnic bottles of wine that hold about 1 cup each. Another option is to use dry vermouth, which keeps well in the pantry. Never use so-called cooking wine.