Dark and moody in color but surprisingly bright and light to eat, this quick dish comes together in just 30 minutes. Hot Italian sausage sings backup in this dish to a pound of mushrooms and a heap of caramelized red onion. A glug of balsamic vinegar, used to scrape up any browned bits that build up on the bottom of the pot, adds complexity, acidity, and a little sweetness in one fell swoop. Use a midlength tube-shaped pasta so all the mushroom and sausage bits have a place to hide.
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What you’ll need
Dutch Oven
$133 $80 At Amazon
Large Pot
$55 $48 At Amazon
Colander
$11 At Amazon
Wooden Spoon
$7 At Amazon
Microplane
$18 At Amazon
Recipe information
Total Time
30 minutes
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
12
1½
4
4
1
8
1
4
2
¼
⅓
Preparation
Step 1
Cook 12 oz. medium tube pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta cooking liquid.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil and 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter in a large Dutch oven or other heavy pot or skillet over medium-high until butter is melted. Add 1 lb. crimini or button mushrooms, cut into ¼" pieces, and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Add 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid is evaporated and mushrooms are browned, 5–7 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl.
Step 3
Heat remaining 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin oil in same pot over medium-high. Add 8 oz. hot Italian sausage and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt. Cook, breaking meat into smaller pieces with a wooden spoon or heatproof rubber spatula, until cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Step 4
Add 1 large red onion, finely chopped, and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add 4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped, and cook, stirring often, until combined and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Return mushrooms to pot and add 2 Tbsp. tomato paste and ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes; season with freshly ground black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until paste is darkened in color, about 2 minutes. Pour in ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar and cook, scraping up any browned bits stuck to bottom of pot, 30 seconds.
Step 5
Reduce heat to medium. Add pasta, ½ cup reserved pasta cooking liquid, and remaining 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter. Cook, stirring often and adding more pasta cooking liquid a little at a time if needed, until pasta is coated and sauce is glossy, about 30 seconds.
Step 6
Transfer pasta to a platter; top with finely grated Parmesan.