Pasta alla Norcina
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
- 7 tablespoons Filippo Berio Umbro Gran Cru Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 8 ounces pork sausage, casing removed, crumbled
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 lb orecchiette
- 1 garlic cloves, minced
- 8 ounces fresh porcini mushrooms, cleaned and pureed coarsely in a food processor
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- Pinch ground nutmeg
- freshly ground black pepper
- sea salt
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 2 ounces Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 3 teaspoons lemon juice
Method:
Heat 4 tbs extra virgin in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until slightly hot. Add the sausage and cook it until lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes, mixing frequently. Remove pan from heat, transfer sausage to a bowl and add cream. Mix and set aside.
Cook pasta in boiling salted water until al dente, drain and reserve 1 1/2 cups cooking water. While pasta cooks, place a large skillet to medium heat. Add 3 tbs extra virgin, garlic, mushrooms, and pinch salt cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are cooked, 3 to 5 minutes.
Stir 1/2 teaspoon rosemary, freshly ground black pepper and nutmeg to taste. Cook for 3 minutes. Pour in wine, and cook until completely evaporated.
Stir in sausage/cream mixture and 1/3 cup reserved cooking water. Simmer until meat is no longer pink, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in Pecorino until smooth.
Tranfer the cooked pasta to the sauce. Add parsley and lemon juice to pasta and blend well. Cook together for 1 minute. Before serving, adjust consistency with remaining reserved cooking water if needed and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Wine tip:
Pasta alla Norcina combines the succulence and savouriness of sausages with the richness of heavy cream and the slight sweetness of the pasta. The wine to pair with it should have a dry and slightly acidic palate, as the Torcigliano Chardonnay DOC from Umbria, which will beautifully balance the richness of the ingredients.
