Servings: 6
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Start to Finish Time: 30 minutes
The Ultimate Hearty Pasta Dish
Nigel Slater’s Pasta with Sausage, Basil, and Mustard is a testament to the beauty of simplicity combined with robust, English-inspired flavors. This dish is a celebration of bold ingredients that come together seamlessly for a meal that feels both indulgent and satisfying.
Why This Recipe Stands Out
The secret to this pasta lies in the perfect balance of flavors. The rich and spicy sausage creates the backbone of the dish, infusing its savory notes into every bite. The creamy mustard sauce elevates the pasta with its tangy depth, while the dry white wine ties everything together with a subtle complexity. Add in fragrant basil, a touch of crushed red pepper, and the salty umami of Parmesan cheese, and you have a dish that’s hard to resist.
Tips for Crafting Perfection
Achieving restaurant-quality results at home is all about the details. For the best texture, cook your penne al dente to ensure it holds its shape and provides the ideal bite. As the sausage browns in the olive oil, it will release flavorful drippings that form the base of your sauce. Be sure to scrape up every last bit when you add the wine to deglaze the pan.
A Versatile Twist
While penne is the classic choice, medium shells also work beautifully in this recipe, capturing pockets of the mustard-infused cream sauce. Feel free to adjust the heat level by increasing or omitting the crushed red pepper, tailoring the spice to your preference.
What Makes It Uniquely English?
The inspiration behind this dish comes from British cookbook author Nigel Slater, whose flair for hearty yet refined comfort food shines here. While the combination of sausage, mustard, and cream may feel quintessentially European, the specific balance of flavors leans toward a distinctly English sensibility.
A Dish to Impress
Perfect for a cozy dinner at home or a gathering with friends, this pasta is sure to earn rave reviews. Its complex layers of flavor will make you look like a culinary pro, even if your kitchen skills are still developing.
Serve it with a crisp green salad and a glass of the same dry white wine you used in the recipe, and you’ve got an elegant meal that feels like pure indulgence.
Prepare:
1 pound penne pasta (see SUBSTITUTION)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 pounds sausage, Italian, hot, casings removed
and meat crumbled
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons mustard, grainy
1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
1 cup basil, thinly sliced
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
Whisk:
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
Heat:
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon serrano chile, minced
12 ounces pork tenderloin, trimmed, cubed, and
seasoned with salt, black pepper, and 1 tbsp. sugar
1 medium onion, sliced
1 each red bell pepper, sliced into 1/4-inch-thick
strips
8 ounces mushrooms, quartered
1 each carrot, bias-sliced
1 cups basil (divided)
Instructions:
PASTA (12 minutes):
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente; drain.
Sausage (cook while pasta cooks):
Heat the oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the sausage meat and brown over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes.
Add the wine and simmer until reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
Add the cream, mustard and red pepper and simmer for 2 minutes.
Stir in the pasta and basil.
Off heat, stir in the Parmesan and serve.
This recipe enables you to prepare a hearty, complex, flavorful pasta dish. The salty sausage and parmesan bind to the pasta and then soak up all the wine-infused liquid. The basil adds a pleasant herbal dimension while the mustard adds a complimentary “tang”. Hot sausage and crushed red pepper provides a bit of heat.
SUBSTITUTION: Medium shells can also be used for this dish.