Savory Meat and Mushroom Pasta Sauce

I don't generally cook from recipes (except for baking of course). I cook based on years of learning how to do very basic things, like wine reductions, derivations of the five classical French sauces, and lots and lots of experience. This meal was one of those inventions that tasted really good, but might be difficult to write down. Let's see how I do.

Ingredients:

2 - 3 Tbps. extra-virgin olive oil (e.v.o.o.)
Half of a medium to large fennel bulb, small dice
One leek (with about 6 inches of white, 1 inch in diameter), med. dice
3 - 4 garlic cloves (or to taste)
1/2 c. red wine (do not use "cooking" wine; use a good dry red wine)
3 links of good sweet Italian sausage*
3 c. (or so) fresh Cremini mushrooms
1/2 c. chopped Parma ham or prosciutto
1/2 c. chopped good, dry salami
1 c. tomato sauce**
2 Tbsp. ribboned fresh basil
12 grape tomatoes
1/2 c. heavy cream
1/4 - 1/3 c. chopped fresh parsley
1 Tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste

Pasta
Excellent romano

Cook your sausage ahead of time using any method you prefer. I generally cook it in a 375 degree (f) oven on a cast iron grill pan. Cook until the internal temperature is about 160 degrees (f). Let cool.

Any good wine reduction begins with the sweating of aromatic vegetables in some kind of fat. In this case, I used e.v.o.o., fennel (also called Anise bulb), leek and garlic.

Heat a large sauce pan over high heat until very hot. Add the e.v.o.o. and after it begins smoking a bit. Then add the fennel and leek and turn the heat down to medium. Add a good pinch of salt, as this aids in the sweating. When the leak begins to turn translucent, add in the mushrooms. After about two minutes, add in the garlic. Cook for another two minutes or so and then add in the wine. You will now cook this until the liquid is reduced to just a couple of tablespoons (the mushrooms will yield a lot of moisture, so be patient with this). When reduced, add in the meats and the basil, and turn up the heat.  After about 3 minutes (or so), add in the tomato sauce and the grape tomatoes. Cook until thickened and then take the pot off the heat. Add in the heavy cream and then put back on the heat and cook over medium until the sauce is thickened. Add the parsley, sugar and then salt and pepper to taste.

Cook the pasta (any pasta--your choice) to al dente and then serve with the sauce and plenty of fresh grated romano. For my friends in NJ/NY, use Locatelli--it's superb (wish we could get it here). Enjoy with a nice wine.

* We really like Johnsonville sweet Italian sausage. It's the closest we've found to the NJ deli sweet sausage--you know, the stuff that comes in pinwheels.

** See our Sunday Gravy recipe for the sauce I used in this dish. I make huge pots of this and then freeze it future use.

~David