Savory Italian sausage is combined with earthy cremini and shiitake mushrooms and nutty caramelized onions, and sweet marsala wine is used as a deglaze, and along with mascarpone and Parmesan cheese, a silky and flavorful sauce is created. Toss the sausage and mushrooms with rigatoni and finish with chives and fresh grated Parmesan.
This takes me back to my youth when pizza toppings were simple and my favorites were sausage and mushrooms. (On one half of the pie. The other side would be anchovy and green olive -- but that's a different post.) I was that little kid who liked mushrooms and have never stopped -- going so far as to take coursework and learning how to cultivate them!
Sausage and Mushroom Pasta with Marsala and Mascarpone comes together in less than a half hour and can easily be elevated by using a mixture of mushrooms such as maitake, shitake, portobello, and chanterelle -- or even those scrumptious prized morels that we hunt for in my neck of the woods. Top it with a shaving of black truffle or a drizzle of truffle oil. Oh yes.
Think about serving sausage and mushroom pasta with my Pear, Fennel and Arugula Salad with Lemon Tarragon Dressing and Pistachios or the Tomato, Peach and Arugula Salad with Buttermilk Herb Dressing.
Ingredients
- rigatoni pasta
- sweet Italian sausage
- olive oil
- yellow onion
- butter
- mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, cremini and button)
- garlic
- dried thyme
- red pepper flakes
- marsala wine
- chicken stock
- mascarpone cheese
- Parmesan cheese
- chives
See recipe card for quantities.
Jump to RecipeInstructions
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente (tender yet firm to the bite), or according to the package direction. Reserve one cup of pasta water.
In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté sausage.
Saute until browned, about 8 minutes. Remove to a paper towel to drain. Drain fat from skillet.
To the same skillet, add olive oil. Sauté onions over medium heat until softened and translucent.
Add butter and mushrooms and sauté until onions are starting to caramelize and mushrooms are starting to brown.
Add minced garlic, thyme and pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant.
Add marsala wine and increase heat to medium-high cooking until reduced by half, scraping up browned bits. Add chicken stock and cook until reduced by half.
Remove from heat and stir in mascarpone and Parmesan cheeses, stirring until melted and creamy.
Stir in reserved sausage. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water in ¼ cup increments thinning to desired consistency.
Toss the sausage and mushroom sauce with pasta, season with salt and pepper to taste and divide among bowls. Garnish with chives and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Hint: Even if a recipe doesn't call for it, whenever I make a pasta dish, I reserve at least a cup of the pasta water to use to thin the sauce if it is too thick. Add it in increments of ¼ cup until it's the desired consistency. I used about ⅓ cup of reserved past to the sauce in this sausage and mushroom pasta.
Mascarpone is an ingredient that might not be a pantry staple, but it sure freezes well. Freeze what you don't use, or just keep a container in the freezer -- it oftentimes can be substituted for heavy cream, creme fraiche, full fat Greek yogurt -- and sometimes it is just wonderful stirred into any sauce to add a bit of silky tang.
Substitutions
- Marsala wine - While marsala was used in this mushroom and sausage pasta, the best substitutes are Madeira wine or dry sherry.
- Mascarpone - The best substitution in this recipe would be creme fraiche or even cream cheese.
- Mushrooms - Use a variety of mushrooms such as maitake, shiitake, portobello, chanterelle or morel
- Garnish - For a bit of rustic sophistication, shave a black truffle over the top -- or give it a drizzle of truffle oil.
- Rigatoni - I like substitutes that capture the sauce well -- like hollow penne or ziti. Tartiglioni with it's twist will also work nicely.
Equipment
- stock or pasta pot
- large saute pan
Storage
Store the sausage and mushroom pasta covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Or freeze leftovers for up to 4 months.
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🍽️ Recipe
Sausage and Mushroom Pasta with Marsala and Mascarpone
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, crumbled
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 8 ounces mixed mushrooms, such as shitake, cremini and button, cleaned and sliced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- pinch red pepper flakes
- ¾ cup marsala wine
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 8 ounces mascarpone
- 4 ounces shredded Parmesan cheese, about ½ cup
- ¼ cup chopped fresh chives
- fresh grated Parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente (tender yet firm to the bite), about 8 to 10 minutes or according to the package direction. Reserve one cup of pasta water.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, sauté sausage until browned, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel to drain. Drain fat from skillet.
- To the same skillet, add olive oil. Sauté onions over medium heat until softened and translucent. Add butter and mushrooms and sauté until onions are starting to caramelize and mushrooms are starting to brown. Add minced garlic, thyme and pepper flakes and sauté until fragrant.
- Add marsala wine and increase heat to medium-high, cooking until reduced by half, scraping up browned bits. Add chicken stock and cook until reduced by half.
- Remove from heat and stir in mascarpone and Parmesan cheeses, stirring until melted and creamy. Stir in reserved sausage. If sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water in ¼ cup increments thinning to desired consistency.
- Toss sauce with pasta, season with salt and pepper to taste and divide among bowls. Garnish with chives and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
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