Spaghetti With Sausage, Porcini, and Tomato Sauce

Marie Simmons

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
• 1  cup water
• 8  ounces Italian sausage (sweet and or or hot)
• 1 -2  garlic clove, crushed
• 1 (15 ounce) can  italian-style plum tomatoes with juice
• 1  tablespoon tomato paste
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄4 teaspoon dried fennel (omit if sausage is heavily seasoned with fennel)
• 1⁄8 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper
• 12  ounces spaghetti or 12  ounces bucatini pasta or 12  ounces  perciatelli
•  grated parmesan cheese

Directions

1. Combine porcini and water in a small saucepan; bring to boiling; let stand off heat for 20 minutes; meanwhile start the sauce.
2. Remove sausage from casings and crumble into a skillet.
3. Stir/saute until lightly browned, about 10 minutes; drain off excess fat.
4. Add in garlic; saute 1 minute.
5. Puree the tomatoes w/ juice in a food processor; add to skillet.
6. Stir in tomato paste, salt, fennel, and pepper; heat to a slow simmer.
7. Drain the porcini through a very fine sieve or a sieve lined with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth; reserve the liquid.
8. If the porcini are gritty, rinse clean under running water; chop porcini and add to the tomato sauce along with the reserved liquid.
9. Simmer the sauce until slightly reduced and thickened, about 15 minutes.
10. Cook spaghetti in plenty of boiling water until al dente; drain.
11. Toss with half the sauce; serve the remaining sauce on the side to spoon over the spaghetti as desired.
12. Pass grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle over the spaghetti.