pappardelle with spicy sausage, green beans, and mushrooms

Pappardelle with Spicy Sausage, Green Beans, and Mushrooms (adapted from Savory Simple)

This is a deliciously simple weeknight meal and it only takes less than half an hour. This is truly “quick and easy” in my book! The mushrooms have a nice smoky flavor that contrasts nicely with the spiciness of the sausage. I added the green beans–we all could use more fiber anyway–and their bright green color was a lovely contrast with the golden noodles.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 8 -8.8 ounces pappardelle
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4-6 links hot Italian sausage, casing removed (can use sweet Italian sausage)
• 7 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced (can use shiitake)
• 8 ounces fresh green beans, trimmed and sliced into 2 inch lengths
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (or more to taste)
• juice of 1 lime (lemon in the original recipe)
• 6 ounces homemade chicken stock
• 1/4 cup heavy cream, optional
• salt to taste
• fresh grated Parmesan for garnish, optional

Preparation

1. Cook pappardelle according to the instructions on the box.
2. While the pasta is cooking, heat up the oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. When the pasta has cooked, reserve a cup of the cooking water. Drain the noodles and set aside.
3. Remove the sausage casings and discard.  Crumble the sausage stuffing into the hot oil.  Reduce heat to medium and brown the sausage.
4. If the sausage sticks to the pan, add a tablespoon of water and scrape up the brown bits called fond, tossing them with the sausage. Fond adds flavor.
5. Once the sausage is cooked and (mostly) browned, add the sliced mushrooms and chopped green beans.  Sauté for two minutes, then lower the heat and add the garlic.
6. After the garlic has cooked, about 60 seconds, sprinkle sausage mixture with the red pepper flakes and squeeze on half the lime or lemon juice. Remove the sausage mixture to a bowl and set aside.
7. Add the chicken stock to the skillet to deglaze it, scraping up any  fond from the bottom of the pan. Allow the stock to reduce slightly, a minute or two.
8. Stir in the cream, if using. Add a 1/4 cup of reserved cooking water to the pasta. Toss to separate the noodles. Add more water, 1/4 cup at a time, if needed.
9. Return the sausage and mushroom to the pot with the pappardelle. Toss. Taste, and add salt if needed.
10. Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes and Parmesan, if desired.

Related articles

• Turkey Sausage, Mushroom, and Potato Gratin (twohungrysisters.com)
• Orzo with Spicy Sausage, Peppers, and Mushrooms (lattesandleggings.com)