Gramigna Pasta with Sausage

5 from 1 vote

Gramigna Pasta with Sausage

Simple, humble pasta dishes are commonplace across Italy. None more than this amazing combination of Gramigna pasta from Emilia Romagna and fennel-rich Italian sausage. Packed with flavour with a wonderful texture. It's perfection.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Total Time30

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 797kcal

Author: Lee

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
700 g Italian pork sausage removed from casing
1 small bunch sage leaves about 8 leaves
500 ml chicken stock (or beef)
500 g Gramigna Pasta
1/2 cup parmigiano reggiano finely grated + more for serving
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

In a deep frying pan, heat the oil until just hot. Remove the sausage from their casings and add to the pan along with the sage. Break up the sausage and cook until all the moisture is gone and the meat resembles ground pork (mince). Around 7 minutes.
Add the stock and simmer for 15 minutes until reduced by half.
Add the Parmigiano Reggiano and stir well. Fish out the sage. Remove from heat.
Add some freshly ground black pepper and check if the salt levels work (sausages vary in seasoning so you may or may not need to add extra salt.)
Cook the Gramigna in boiling salted water to packet instructions then drain, reserving about 1 cup (or more) of the pasta water.
Mix the pasta and gramigna. Add a little of the pasta water at a time until it's moist but not watery.
Serve in bowls with extra cheese on the side.

Notes

Expert Tips

Pasta Substitutes - Finding Gramigna might pose a challenge, so feel free to use alternatives like Macaroni, Elbows, or even Bucatini cut into small pieces. In fact, any pasta shape will do; you can experiment with options like Fettuccini or Tagliatelle, both hailing from the Emilia Romagna region of Italy.
Pasta Water - For virtually all pasta dishes, the secret to achieving creamy and flavorful sauces lies in incorporating some of the pasta water at the end. Make sure to reserve an adequate amount. I typically strain my pasta over a bowl, retaining most of the liquid. Alternatively, you can use a sieve or slotted spoon to extract the pasta, leaving the cooking liquid in the pan.

Serving & Storage

Serving - Serve the dish hot, accompanied by lashings of extra Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on the side.
Refrigeration - While it's best enjoyed straight from the pan, you can store it in the fridge for a few days. The pasta has a tendency to continue absorbing the sauce, so I often add a bit of water or broth when reheating to keep it from drying out
Freezing - I'm not particularly keen on freezing this pasta; it can become dry in the freezer. Fresh is best for this dish.

Nutrition