Stag Orecchiette

I consider the four years I spent at Fairfield University, one of the best times of my life. Those carefree days spent with friends who I still hold dear often included sharing meals. We ordered in, dined out and cooked plenty of them ourselves. I recall enjoying a good deal of pasta. Eating too many carbs wasn’t a “thing” then, and pasta was cheap and filling. This pasta dish made with sausage and spinach is full of flavor. You can substitute another vegetable for the spinach if you wish. Broccoli raab, broccolini, kale or tomato will work as well. Never be afraid to make a recipe your own.

Stag Orecchiette

Serves four

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 to 1 1/2 pounds sweet Italian sausage meat or Italian sausage links

4 garlic cloves

1 pound orecciette pasta (If you can’t find this type of pasta, use penne.)

Kosher salt

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups fresh baby spinach

1/4 cup shredded basil leaves (optional)

Grated Romano cheese

If you are using sausage links, remove the meat from the casings. Slice the garlic into thin pieces.

Heat the 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat and cook for about 7 minutes until the sausage starts to brown. Make sure you break up the sausage with a spoon as you cook it. Add the garlic, 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt and drizzle 2 more tablespoons of olive oil on the sausage. Cook for another 5-8 minutes until the sausage is browned. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside. 

Fill 3/4 of a 4-quart pot with water and heat on high heat. When the water comes to a boil, add a handful of Kosher salt and then the Orecchiette. Stir. Cook the pasta until tender. Drain the pasta and then return it to the pot. Place back on the stove on low heat. Add 1/4 tablespoons unsalted butter and the sausage mixture. Stir well. Add the spinach and stir until the spinach wilts. Add fresh basil and top with grated Romano cheese.