“Using best-quality sausages and tomatoes gives this from-scratch version of Sarah’s favourite comfort food a real smack of flavour. Finish with freshly grated Parmesan and fresh basil, it’s a real step up from the microwave meals Sarah’s used to. ”
Ingredients
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stick of celery
- 1 bunch of fresh basil , (30g)
- olive oil
- 4 quality Italian sausages , (250g in total)
- 1 heaped teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano , ideally the flowering kind
- 1 pinch of dried chilli flakes
- 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
- 4 cloves of garlic
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 x 400 g tins of quality plum tomatoes
- 300 g dried penne
- 40 g Parmesan cheese , plus extra to serve
- extra virgin olive oil
Method
- Peel the onion, carrot and celery, then finely chop with the basil stalks (reserving the leaves).
- Place a large pan on a medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, then squeeze the sausagemeat out of the skins into the pan, breaking it up with a wooden spoon as you go. Fry for a few minutes, then add the fennel seeds, oregano and chilli flakes, and strip in the rosemary.
- Stir in the chopped veg and basil stalks, then peel and finely grate in the garlic. Cook for 10 minutes, or until softened, stirring occasionally.
- Pour the balsamic into the pan and leave to bubble away and reduce slightly. Scrunch in the tomatoes through your clean hands, then add 1 tin’s worth of water and the larger basil leaves. Bring to the boil, then simmer over a low heat for 20 minutes, or until thickened.
- With around 10 minutes to go, cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions, then drain, reserving a mugful of cooking water.
- Toss the drained pasta into the sausage pan, loosening with a little reserved cooking water, if needed. Taste and season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, then remove from the heat.
- Finely grate in the Parmesan, scatter over the remaining basil leaves, and finish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Delicious served with pinches of lemony rocket and an extra grating of Parmesan.
Source: Jamie Oliver
