During our visit to Eataly in New York, we ate a very memorable plate of fusilli with ragu. The fusilli was long like a long unravelled phone cord making each bite an extraordinary textural experience where your mouth feels the pasta spring out, filling it with the flavoursome ragu and the al-dente pasta. We had to re-create this wonderful experience at home and we knew it was all in the pasta.

Thankfully, we were at Eataly so we were able to buy the same pasta and figure out how to make a similar sauce at home. This recipe was inspired by one of Mario Batali’s and is so tasty, you definitely want to try it if you can get long fusilli at your local Italian delicatessen.

Here’s the recipe:

Lungo Fusilli con Salsiccia

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter

1 large onion, diced

450 grams (1 pound) Italian pork sausages, removed from casing and rolled into small balls

6 tablespoons of tomato paste

½ cup of dry white wine

½ milk

Freshly ground salt and pepper

450 grams (1pound) fusilli

Freshly grated Parmigiano reggiano, for serving

Method:

1)   In a large pan, heat the olive oil and butter over high heat

2)   Add the onion and cook until soft and golden brown

3)   Add the sausage, stir occasionally (drain excess fat is necessary) until sausage is very brown and somewhat crisp

4)   Add the tomato paste and stir often until it turns a deep rust colour

5)   Add the wine and stir frequently until evaporated

6)   Stir in the milk and season with salt and pepper to taste

7)   Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes

8)   Meanwhile, cook the fusilli in salted water according to packet directions

9)   Scoop out ½ cup of cooking water and drain the rest.

10)   Add the pasta to the sauce and splash water is necessary into the pan to loosen the sauce

11)   Serves in bowls with Parmigiano. Makes 6 servings

 

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