A rich Italian pasta dish featuring orecchiette with spicy sausage, brown butter, sage, and seasonal vegetables in a creamy sauce
Special Notes
If preparing sausage from ground pork, make in the morning or day before
Special Equipment
Preparation
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat
Remove casings from {italian spicy sausage} if needed
Thinly slice the {fresh sage leaves}
Cut {yellow squash} into half moons
Dice the {vine tomato}
Cooking Vegetables
Sauté the {yellow squash} in half the {unsalted butter} on high heat, ensuring each half moon is flat on the pan
Once browned, flip to brown the other side
Add diced {vine tomato} to pan and cook for about 5 minutes total
Remove from pan and set aside
Cooking Sausage
Set a medium sauté pan with high sides over medium-high heat and add half of the remaining {unsalted butter}
When the butter is foamy and turns light golden brown, add the {italian spicy sausage}
Cook until well browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon, about 4 to 5 minutes
Add the {fresh sage leaves}, stir to combine, remove from heat and set aside
Cooking Pasta
Add the {orecchiette pasta} and a generous amount of {kosher salt} to the boiling water
Cook until al dente, stirring frequently, about 8 minutes (check package directions)
Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water with a ladle, then drain the pasta
Assembly
Set the pan with browned sausage over medium heat and add the drained pasta
Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan
Add reserved pasta water 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring until a sauce begins to form
Reserve 1 tablespoon of {parmesan cheese} and add the rest to the pasta
Add the remaining {unsalted butter} and stir to combine
Continue adding pasta water as needed until sauce emulsifies into a creamy sauce that clings to pasta
Season with {black pepper} and taste, adding additional {kosher salt} if needed
Divide pasta evenly between 2 warmed plates and garnish with reserved {parmesan cheese}