Campanelle with Sausage, Porcini and White Wine Ragu

Campanelle pasta looks like it jumped out of a Georgia O'Keefe painting. Shaped like a calla lily, it lets the sauce permeate into its nooks and crannies. When you take a bite, your mouth is filled with a savory spurt, along with the requisite pasta taste. Such a pretty pasta deserves a special sauce.

Penne or orecchiette are an adequate substitute. Be aware that each pasta has a different cooking time. You could cook your pasta ahead of time. Drizzle the cooked pasta with a little olive oil so that it doesn't stick together. Warm it under hot running water before you serve. 

Today's sauce is a robust white wine, porcini and sausage ragu. Dried porcini mushrooms are hydrated in hot water.  These mushrooms and the soaking liquid add a gentle umami flavor to the sauce. Chopped onions and grated carrots are sauteed in lightly sauteed in olive oil. A ladleful of tomato paste is sauteed in the pan as well. A generous pour of chenin blanc makes a full bodied sauce. Rosemary and a bay leaf add depth of flavor. The pinch of clove powder adds a mysterious musky taste. Chicken stock thins the sauce. Browned fennel sausage is added to the sauce.The sauce simmers for a short time before it is ladled over al dente campanelle. A dusting of Parmesan completes the dish.



CAMPANELLE WITH SAUSAGE, PORCINI AND WHITE WINE RAGU
Serves 4

2 pounds Fennel Sausage
1 teaspoon + 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 cup dried Porcini Mushrooms
2 Onions
3 Carrots
3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
1 teaspoon fresh Rosemary leaves
1 Bay Leaf
2 cups White Wine
1 /2 cup Chicken Stock 
1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
1/2 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
1 pound Campanelle or Penne or Orecchiette
Parmesan Cheese
Parsley


Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a nonstick saucepan. Add sausage links to oil and saute on both sides till brown. Remove from pan and cut into 1 inch chunks. Keep aside.

Place dried mushrooms in a bowl. Pour 1 cup hot water over mushrooms. Let mushrooms steep for 15 minutes. Squeeze dry and roughly chop mushrooms. Save the soaking liquid.

Cut onion into small dice. 

Grate carrots using big holes. You should have large gratings.

Heat remaining oil in a Dutch oven or large deep saucepan.

Add onions and carrots and saute on medium heat for 5 minutes till onion is soft.

Push onions and carrots to the outer edges of the pan. 

Add tomato paste to the center of the saucepan. Let paste sit for 30 seconds before you mix it with the onions and carrots.  Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Add chopped porcini to saucepan.

Pour white wine into saucepan and bring to a low simmer. Cook for 3-4 minutes.

Chop rosemary roughly.

Add rosemary, bay leaf and clove powder to sauce. Stir well till mixed. 

Pour mushroom liquid into the sauce making sure not to add the sediment at the bottom. Simmer sauce for another 5 minutes.

Then add chicken stock and sausage. 

Season with salt and pepper. 

Simmer for 10 minutes on a low flame.

Heat 6 cups water in a large pan.

When it boils add 2 tablespoons kosher salt to water. 

Add pasta and cook as instructed by the package directions. 

When you are ready to eat, mound a serving of pasta in a bowl or plate. Ladle the sausage ragu over pasta. Dust with grated parmesan cheese and parsley. Enjoy!

I am partial to this pasta by a mile. Frilly edges delight all senses. 



  

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