The Italian food landscape boasts an array of delectable sausage varieties - from the spicy ‘nduja of the south, to the milder, fennel-rich Luganega da Monza of the north, the many forms of the much-loved ingredient paves the way for a plethora of deliciously rich, meaty ragùs. In our sausage tagliatelle, we showcase the salsiccia di Norcia (Norcia sausage) - its ancient namesake town located in the province of Perugia. Made with the highest quality cuts of pork, the sausage is a prevalent ingredient in cooking across Italy. If you can’t quite manage to get your hands on some salsiccia di Norcia, be sure to use another high quality sausage in your dish.
Our tagliatelle funghi e salsiccia recipe (mushroom tagliatelle with sausage), combines flavours of earthy porcini, rich Norcia sausage meat and dry white wine, for a rustic yet tempting dish. Fresh, handmade tagliatelle proves the perfect accompaniment for this rugged sauce; its increased surface area and rough texture are the perfect partner to sop up every drop of the tasty ragù. Finish with a generous helping of Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh parsley and cracked black pepper and you’re onto a sure-fire winner.
Sausage and mushroom tagliatelle recipe
Serves 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Calories per serving: 503kcal
Ingredients
- 400g fresh tagliatelle (you can follow along with Roberta in the video below if you're making your own tagliatelle)
- 150g Norcia sausage or good quality sausage meat (you can use sausage links here, just remove their casing before cooking)
- 50g dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ glass of dry white wine
- 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parsley to garnish
- Parmigiano Reggiano to serve
Method
- Place your dried porcini in a bowl, and cover with boiling water, in order to rehydrate the mushrooms - once plump in appearance, they are ready to remove.
- Remove the Norcia sausages from their casings, breaking the filling into small pieces.
- Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan. Add the shallots and garlic, and gently fry until golden.
- Remove from the pan, and add the sausage meat, frying until nicely browned.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine, allowing the mixture to simmer until the alcohol is evaporated.
- Add the porcini mushrooms, shallot and garlic back into the pan, cooking the mixture for a couple of minutes to ensure the flavours meld. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Boil your fresh tagliatelle in generously salted water for approximately 3-4 minutes, or until al dente. We advise tasting a piece before removing from the water, to ensure the tagliatelle is cooked to your liking. Once done, strain the pasta (ensuring to save a cup or so of the pasta water) and add it to the pan with the sausage mixture.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce, adding reserved pasta water if necessary, to achieve a glossy sauce that coats the strands with ease.
- To serve, garnish your dish with fresh parsley, Parmigiano Reggiano and a touch of cracked black pepper.
Sausage tagliatelle wine pairing recommendation
The combination of rich sausage and umami laden porcini bring an earthy flavour to this dish, so you want a wine that can counterbalance it. An Italian red with a decent amount of tannins and acidity such as Montepulciano d'Abruzzo would be a good start, but for an ideal match we’d hone in on La Chiamata Montepulciano D'abruzzo 2018. On the nose, you'll find plum and cherry notes with a subtle floral hint. On the palate, this wine has a silky texture with red fruits (cherry and cranberry), spicy notes and a hint of oak.
Love this recipe? Here are four more gourmet Italian sausage recipes for you to try at home - buon appetito!
