I'm a sucker for a big tangled mess of pasta with veg and herb. I love the freshness. Here, I've added chucked-in savory rounds of browned sausage and swirled everything together in a wine-y garlic sauce. From really good to freaking fantastic.
I'm not bossy about the way you do things in your kitchen, we all do by habit or what comes naturally based on the efficiency of our set-ups. I do find that with a large pasta dish, mainly long pasta, that "one-pot" methods (really, one-skillet)never seem to get the pasta cohesively mixed with the other bits. You stir and stir, and still end up with a mass of pasta in the skillet and the rest hiding underneath. Meanwhile, your long strands get beat up and broken.
My method is two-pot, one big pot for cooking the pasta, one big skillet for cooking everything else. Once drained, the pasta goes back into the big pot in layers, with vegetables and sauce between. I doesn't add more than the same time you would have been stirring, trying like mad to mix in the pasta in one skillet. So try it, I think you'll find the method makes sense and presents your dish well when you turn it out!
"Drink the same white wine that you use in the sauce!"
Notes: Butter is unsalted. Olive oil is extra-virgin.
LINGUINI WITH BROCCOLI, SAUSAGE & MUSHROOMS
Ingredients: 12 oz. linguini (3/4 of 1 box), 1/2 large head broccoli-crowns only, 1/2 package baby 'Bella mushrooms-sliced, 12 oz. turkey sausage-sliced, 2 Tbsp. olive oil, 1 medium red onion-sliced, 1 bunch basil, 1/2 cup + extra grated Parmesan cheese. For the sauce: 4 cloves minced garlic, 1/2 cup white wine, 4 Tbsp. butter, juice of 1 lemon, 1 tsp. sea salt , 1 tsp. cracked pepper
Serves 4 well
1. Set your largest pot of water over high heat. At the same time, heat 1 Tbsp. of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown the sausage and onion.
2. Add broccoli and mushrooms to the skillet with the other tablespoon of oil. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until broccoli is just-tender. Remove everything to a plate, cover with foil to keep warm.
3. Cook pasta to nearly al dente, testing strands at 8 minutes. Drain, but reserve 1/2 cup or so of cooking liquid.
4. Make the sauce: Pour wine into the hot skillet and scrape up the bits. Add the butter, lemon, garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until lightly thickened, remove from heat.
5. Pour half of the cooking liquid back into the big pot over medium-high heat. Tip in half of the linguine, then layer: a few leaves of torn basil, half of the sauce, half of the Parmesan, half sausage mixture. Repeat.
6. Cover with a lid on the heat for 3 minutes. Toss gently, making sure pasta is hot througout, tip onto a serving platter. Garnish with more basil and Parmesan.
Tip: If you need extra time while the pasta is cooking to get on with the sauce, turn down the pasta water to low.