Sausage and Mushroom Pasta with Marsala and Mascarpone
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 with rigatoni and finish with diced chives and fresh grated Parmesan.
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.