ITALIANSAUSAGE
PASTA BAKE
PREP+ COOKTIME 30 MINUTESSERVES 4
6 (750g)porkandfennelor
Italian-stylesausages
1 tablespoonextravirginoliveoil
1 large(200g)brownonion,
slicedthinly
400gcanchoppedtomatoes
400gcantomatopuree orpassata
½cuplooselypackedbasilleaves,
torn
375grigatoni,penneorother
shortpasta
3-4bocconcini,slicedthickly
(seenotes)
¾cup(60g)finelygratedparmesan
1 Makea longshallowcutalong
thelengthofeachsausage,using
a small,sharpknife;peelaway
casingsanddiscard.Crumble
sausagemeatintopieces.
2 Heattheoilina largefrypanover
highheat.Addsausagepiecesand
cook,stirring,untilbrownedallover
andjustcookedthrough. Remove
from pan; set aside.
3 Addoniontosamepan.Cook,
stirring,untilsoftened.Return
sausagepiecestopan;addtomatoes
andpuree.Simmer,stirring
occasionally,for 10 minutesor
untilthickened.Seasonwithsalt
andfreshlygroundblackpepper
andstirthroughbasil.
4 Preheatovento220°C/200°Cfan.
Meanwhile,cookthepastainplenty
ofwell-saltedboilingwateruntilal
dente.Drain,reserving¼ cup (60ml)
pastacookingwater.
5 Addthepastatothesausage
mixture;tosstocombine.Add
a littleofthecookingwaterif
necessarytohelpthepasta and
sauceamalgamate.
6 Transferpastamixturetoa
mediumshallowovenproofdish.Top
withbocconciniandparmesan,and
bakefor 15 minutesoruntilbrowned.
Serve with rocket salad, if desired.TEST
KITCHEN
NOTES
Bocconcini,which
translatesfromItalianas
“littlemouthfuls”,are
creamyballsoffresh
mozzarella.Bocconcini
hasa shortshelflife,so
itmustbekeptunder
refrigerationinbrine.To
cutbocconciniintoeven
slices,usea wireeggslicer- it’smucheasier than
using a knife.
32 #COOKWITHTHEWEEKLY
Weeknight Dinners