Spicy Sausage Pasta with Tomatoes and Squash
Submitted by Rich Williams ('62)Ingredients:
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1 (12-ounce) package orecchiette or small shells pasta
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2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
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12 ounces fresh merguez or spicy Italian sausage, casings removed
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3 tablespoons spicy harissa (such as Mina), plus more to taste
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1/3 cup dry white wine
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1 pint multicolored cherry tomatoes, halved (about 2 cups)
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
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1 cup very thinly sliced zucchini and/or yellow crookneck squash
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1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh mint, plus more for garnish
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4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (about 1 cup)
Cooking Instructions:
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Cook pasta in a large pot of generously salted water until very al dente (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Drain pasta, reserving 3/4 cup cooking liquid. Set pasta and cooking liquid aside.
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Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large, deep skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add sausage in 1-inch clumps, and cook, undisturbed, until browned on bottom, about 3 minutes. Stir and cook, breaking up sausage with a wooden spoon, until almost cooked through, about 2 minutes. Drain and discard drippings, reserving cooked sausage and 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet.
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Add harissa to skillet; cook over medium-high, stirring constantly, 30 seconds. Add wine, stirring and scraping up any browned bits from bottom of skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, salt, cooked pasta, and 1/2 cup reserved cooking liquid. Cook, stirring constantly, until a creamy sauce forms and coats pasta, about 3 minutes, gradually stirring in remaining 1/4 cup cooking liquid as needed to reach desired consistency. Remove from heat.
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Scatter sliced squash and mint over pasta. Drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and toss to combine. Let stand until squash is slightly wilted, about 2 minutes. Season with harissa and salt to taste. Divide pasta among bowls, and top evenly with feta; garnish with sliced mint.