Sweet Sausage & Smashed Pea Tagliatelle with Ricotta
A surprisingly refreshing dish of sweet sausage, smashed peas, and ricotta cheese with pasta, epitomizing simplicity and flavor.
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage
- 1 pound frozen peas thawed
- 1 cup whole milk ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10-12 minutes if dry; or according to package directions if fresh. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Meanwhile, in a large, heavy skillet with high sides (or a large Dutch oven), heat the olive oil and saute onions over medium high heat until soft.
- Add garlic and dried basil and saute another 2-3 minutes.
- Add wine, cook down until most of the wine has cooked off.
- Add the sausage. Use a wooden spoon to break up the sausage into bite-sized bits and cook until the sausage has browned, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add the peas to the pan and, using the back of the wooden spoon (alternatively, use a potato masher, it's faster) smash the peas.
- Turn off the heat. Add the ricotta cheese along with the cooked pasta and toss to coat, adding the pasta cooking water in 1/4 cup additions, if needed, to make the pasta moist.
- Return the sausage to the pan. Add the Pecorino Romano cheese, salt, and/or pepper. Toss gently to coat and serve immediately.