1 lb of orecchiette
1/2 onion
6 cloves of garlic, finely sliced
3 mild italian pork sausages, casing removed
1 tbsp of chilli flakes (and a pinch more for serving)
1 zucchini, halved lengthways then halved lengthways again and then sliced
1/2 cup of white wine
1/4 cup of heavy cream
flaky salt
black pepper
parmesan, grated for serving
begin by boiling a pot of salted water ready for the pasta.
next begin by heating up a heavy bottomed pot over medium heat. no oil required here as the sausages are plenty fatty. next remove the sausages from their casing and add to the pot, breaking up into little chunks.
once broken up, leave the sausage undisturbed, so that they begin to brown slightly on the bottom. this will take 3-5 minutes. be patient, it’s worth it!
once browned, stir the sausage once to make sure all side have at least touched the pan. remove the sausage from the pan and set aside.
remove some of the sausage fat from the pan, as you will see— there is a lot. reserve about a tbsp to continue cooking with.
add the diced onion + sliced garlic into the pan and sauté 2-3 minutes. add in the chilli flakes to bloom in the fat and alliums. stir to make sure everything is coated. season with salt and pepper.
this is a good time to drop the pasta into the boiling water. cooking according to the packet, minus 2 minutes as the pasta will continue cooking in the sauce.
next add in the white wine, and let it cook off for about 2 minutes. add the in zucchini and stir to combine.
once everything is softened add in the cream and turn the heat down to low. add the sausage back into the pan and stir everything together.
drain the pasta. make sure to reserve some pasta water!
add the pasta to the sausage and zucchini, and stir to combine. adding in some of the reserved pasta water. keep stirring.serve with some more flaky salt, black pep on the big grind, grated parmesan + a little pinch of chilli flakes.
