I’ve always been someone who spends hours making a tomato based pasta sauce. It’s how our mothers taught us to make sauce back in the olden days. The sauce was rich and thick and oozing with flavor. I still like that sauce but I found one I like even more. It’s made with tomatoes but it only takes about 20 minutes to prepare. Dinner in less than 30 minutes is a big winner for me and for every other working woman with a family.
Once you soften some chopped onion and garlic in a skillet, break open the sausage condom. (I know, I can’t help it – that’s what it looks like, you know it too.) Break up the sausage in the skillet. I used a potato masher to get the meat fine enough for sauce.
Cook til the meat is well browned and then toss in a tin of crushed tomatoes and the brandy or cognac and cook for about 10 minutes. While the sauce is cooking, heat a big pot of boiling salted water for the pasta and cook til al dente. I used zitoni – long artisan tubular noodles that really suck up the sauce. Any pasta with nooks and crannies to soak up the sauce would be good. This is a sauce you *don’t* want to leave in the bowl or on your plate. It’s delicious.
Once the pasta is cooked (but not overcooked) drain it and save about a cup of pasta water. Now you’re ready to finish the sauce.
If the sauce seems a bit dry, add some of the pasta water and then toss in the cream and stir around til the cream is heated through. Toss over the pasta, add some chopped parsley and dig in! The whole house smelled fantastic from the Italian sausage.
Here’s the recipe for the sauce.
- 1 finely diced onion
- 1 finely diced clove of garlic
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 large Italian Sausagees
- ½ cup brandy or cognac
- 400 grams (one can) crushed tomatoes (polpa de pomadoro)
- ½ cup cream
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp chopped parsley or basil
- Cook onion and garlic in a skillet with oil until soft
- Remove skin from sausage and break up into skilled with onion and garlic. Mash sausages.
- Cook til browned.
- Add Brandy and tomatoes and stir to combine.
- Cook for 10 minutes while you cook pasta.
- Add cream and heat through.
- Pour over any suitable cooked and drained pasta.
I usually hate pasta but yours looks delicious :), I could take a bite or two. My boyfriend would love this dish, he loves anything with pork (I suppose the Italian sausages are with minced pork). And I like your pots they are spotless…how do you do it?
The brandy/cream additions will make this pasta dish taste really posh…luv it!
Love the idea of mashing the sausage with a potato masher. This sauce looks really delicious.
This pasta looks wonderful & Italian sausage is always a win in my book 🙂
I like using sausages because it’s an instant flavour injection, no seasoning required!
Lol, sausage condom! Yes it does look like one, let’s be real! 🙂 Love this sauce, looks delicious!
Pasta always makes me happy, and the faster dinner can be prepped the better. The brandy in the sauce sounds great!
whenever i cook spaghetti, i love to use italian sausage too! it has such great flavor. love the idea of adding brandy and cream to the marinara sauce! 😀
Oh yeah! Be careful not to let the sauce boil after you add the cream or it will be extra greasy! And I would probably flame the brandy before adding the tomatoes, but I’m a pyro. 😉
This sauce looks so good! Can’t wait to make it.
This looks so delicious Maureen. I sure wish we lived closer
I wish we did too, Megs, I’d cook for you anytime 🙂
Oh my gosh, the brandy and cream really make this sauce superb! I cannot wait to try it . . . but have to wait until it cools off, because I never make meat sauce (bolognese) in the summertime. Thanks so much for sharing and for also stopping by with your kind comment!
This looks so yummy, and I love using Italian sausages as well in my meat sauce. I have never seen that type of pasta around here… is that locally produced?
My boys would love this dish, that sausage looks fanastic, havent seen this good of sausage since I lived in NY … great dish anytime!
It looks simply divine! I have never added cognac or brandy to meat sauces. I will try it next time. Thanks for the idea!
The brandy is a great idea! This would be a fantastic fall or winter dish.
What a lovely dish. You out due yourself. It is always a pleasure to visit here. I love your recipes and find your photos wonderful. I hope you have a great day. Blessings…Mary
I love everything about this recipe. The pasta, the sausage, the brandy, the cream. We working men with hungry bellies and hungry wives also like quick recipes.
Oh, my gosh, this sounds fantastic! And I just adore that type of pasta, wish I could find some around here (suppose I could make it…but I’m far too lazy). YUM!
very nice sauce, esp like the addition of brandy over wine… always like a sauce that is finished off with cream and this one sounds just super… tell your husband I like his recipe print format, wish he would convert it for blogger…
thanks for stopping by, glad to see your recipes…
anything that cooks withing 30 minutes and is delicious as well is perfect! bookmarked this recipe
Yummy, yum, yum! I love pasta! I have never heard of this pasta before, I am going to see if i can find some, because I would really love to try it!
Oh, very yum! Love your description of the sausage casing- that’s what it’s called-right? 🙂
OMG but this looks fantastic!!!! And in 30 minutes too. I am in love. Love I tell you. Love Italian sausages. A definite try. This is a winner.
Looks amazing! I love using sausages for meat-based sauces, add so much flavour!
omg..this sounds actually sinfu! Rich and creamy, the sausage and pasta together…very, very nice!
Ive never seen those noodles before! I LOVE pasta and they truly look like the best shaped noodley things ever, perfect for this kind of dish. Definitely a saved recipe right here 🙂
This looks delicious!
Can’t wait to give this one a go 🙂
There is no way that this isn’t delicious! Great job.
This is my kind of meal. I love pasta and I’d happily eat it everyday. The sausage meat sauce with the pasta… scrumptious!.
Made this sauce a while back and forgot to store it under favorites. Was worried I couldn’t find it again — IT WAS LOVED BY THE WHOLE FAMILY!!!! Thanks!
Thanks so much for letting me know. It’s a real favorite of mine.
I’m making this for the in laws birthday dinner tonight. While I was removing the sausage, one of the casings broke. I couldn’t help but think of what you called it and laugh!
Yummy! Hubby had used the last of the brandy on me so I had to substitute Marsala wine but still delicious. Complimented the Italian sausage nicely. Served mine over 4 cheese tortellini.