Pasta with Beets, Sausage and Gorgonzola sauce

Pasta al sugo di rape rosse salsiccie e gorgonzola

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Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1 pound Italian Style Sausages, casings removed
¼ cup chopped Onion
6 large Garlic cloves, thickly sliced
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh Sage (optional)
½ cup White Wine
1 can (14 ounces) diced Beets, drained
1 cup Cream
1 cup Beef Stock
½ teaspoon Salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
½ cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
1 pound dry Pasta (butterfly, orecchiette, penne or tortiglioni)
½ cup chopped toasted Walnuts
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh Parsley

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Serves 4-6

Printable Version

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium high heat. Brown the sausages in the oil until they are cooked through, 5-6 minutes, breaking the meat up with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside.

If the sausages are not lean, pour out the excess fat in the pan so only 2-3 tablespoons remain. In the same pan you cooked the meat, sauté the garlic and onions until tender, 4-5 minutes. Return the sausage to the pan with the chopped sage and stir well. Deglaze the pan with the wine, stirring to dislodge any browned bits from the bottom of the pan and continue cooking to reduce the liquid by half, 1-2 minutes. Add the beets, cream, stock, salt and pepper. Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer 10-12 minutes, to a sauce consistency.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling water according to manufacturer’s directions. Drain well and return to the empty pot. Add the sauce and the crumbled cheese to the pasta and cook over low heat, stirring gently until the cheese is melted and the sauce and pasta are thoroughly combined, 1-2 minutes.

Serve the pasta on a warm platter sprinkled with the chopped fresh parsley.

Chef's Tip:

If you don’t mind handling fresh beets, roast or boil 1 lb. of beets, then skin and dice and continue as with canned. To toast walnuts, bake at 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes.