Balsamic Sausage and Mushroom Rigatoni

Servings: 4 · Prep: 15 min · Cook: 35 min · Total: 50 min

Ingredients

• 12 ounces Rigatoni
• 1 pound Mild Italian pork sausage
• 1 pound Baby bella mushrooms
• 1/3 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup Fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons Olive oil
• 3 each Garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons Unsalted butter
• 2 1/2 teaspoons Fine sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground black pepper
• 3 quarts Water

Equipment

Measuring Cups; Measuring Spoons; Knife; Cutting Board; Colander; Wooden spoon; Large bowl; Fine grater; Instant-read food thermometer; 6-quart pot; 12-inch deep skillet, at least 4-quart capacity; measuring cups; measuring spoons; knife; cutting board; colander; wooden spoon; large bowl; fine grater; instant-read food thermometer

Steps

1. Prepare the ingredients. Wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. Rinse the mushrooms and parsley under running water, remove any damaged areas, and dry thoroughly. Trim the mushroom stems and slice the mushrooms 1/4 inch thick. Chop the parsley, mince the garlic, and grate the Parmesan before handling the raw sausage.
   • 1 pound baby bella mushrooms
   • 1/4 cup parsley — finely chopped
   • 3 Each garlic — minced
   • 3/4 cup parmesan cheese — finely grated

   Prepare the parsley before handling raw sausage, keep it separate, and wash hands and sanitize utensils and surfaces after raw-meat contact.

2. Boil the salted water. Bring the 3 quarts water to a boil in the pot. Add the 2 teaspoons salt allocated for the pasta water.
   • 3 quarts Water
   • 2 teaspoons salt
3. Brown the sausage. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage in roughly 1-inch pieces. Cook for 7–9 minutes, turning occasionally and breaking apart larger pieces, until well browned and the centers of the largest pieces reach 160°F on a food thermometer. Transfer the cooked sausage to the bowl. Spoon off excess rendered fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the skillet.
   • 1 tablespoon olive oil
   • 1 pound italian pork sausage — casings removed

   Confirm the largest sausage pieces reach 160°F, and clean the thermometer before and after use.

4. Brown the first mushroom batch. Add half the mushrooms to the skillet in a single layer. Cook undisturbed for 3 minutes, then stir and continue cooking for 3–5 minutes, until their released liquid has evaporated and they are well browned. Stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt, then transfer them to the bowl with the sausage.
   • 1/2 pound baby bella mushrooms
   • 1/4 teaspoon salt
5. Finish the mushrooms and start the pasta. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and the remaining mushrooms to the skillet. Brown them in the same way for 6–8 minutes, adding the remaining 1/4 teaspoon mushroom salt near the end. Transfer them to the bowl. While this second batch cooks, add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 minute less than the package’s al dente cooking time.
   • 1 tablespoon olive oil
   • 1/2 pound baby bella mushrooms
   • 1/4 teaspoon salt
   • 12 ounces rigatoni
6. Reduce the balsamic vinegar. Reduce the skillet heat to medium-low. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Pour in the balsamic vinegar and scrape up the browned bits. Simmer gently for 2–3 minutes, until reduced by approximately half. It should still flow freely when the pan is tilted; do not cook it into a thick syrup.
   • 3 Each garlic — minced
   • 1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
7. Loosen the sauce and return the sausage. Before draining the rigatoni, measure out 1 1/2 cups of its cooking water. Stir 3/4 cup of that reserved water into the balsamic reduction. Return the sausage, mushrooms, and any accumulated juices to the skillet, then add the black pepper.
   • 1/2 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
8. Toss the pasta and finish the sauce. Drain the rigatoni and add it to the skillet. Toss over medium heat for 1–2 minutes, until the pasta is al dente and coated with sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the butter, the 1/2 cup Parmesan allocated for the sauce, and 2 tablespoons parsley. Toss vigorously until the butter melts and the cheese blends into the sauce.
   • 2 tablespoons butter
   • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese — finely grated
   • 2 tablespoons parsley — finely chopped
9. Adjust the sauce and serve. If the sauce looks tight rather than silky, add water from the remaining 3/4 cup reserved pasta water, 2 tablespoons at a time, tossing after each addition. Stop when the sauce lightly coats the rigatoni without pooling heavily; you may not need all the water. Divide among four bowls. Distribute the remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan and 2 tablespoons parsley evenly across all four servings, then serve immediately.
   • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese — finely grated
   • 2 tablespoons parsley — finely chopped

https://plumtally.com/recipes/balsamic-sausage-and-mushroom-rigatoni-rw6d2gcpzmsc