Region: Italy
Category: Pasta with Sausage
Season: Winter
Difficulty: Easy
This is a delightful spaghetti dish for a cold winter's night. 
Because it is rich in taste I usually served it in slightly smaller portions than usual. The sausage is cooked in a pan with the artichoke foundations and then the mascarpone and wine is blended in with a little cream to dilute the sauce.
[photo: Clifford A. Wright]
Yield: Makes 4 to 5 servings
Preparation Time: 30 minutes
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 mild Italian sausages (about 1/2 pound), casing removed and crumbled
2 cooked medium-size artichoke foundations, chopped
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream
Bouquet garni, wrapped in cheesecloth, consisting of 6 sprigs fresh marjoram or parsley and 6 sprigs fresh thyme
3/4 pound spaghetti
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated pecorino cheese for sprinkling
1. In a flame-proof casserole, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then cook the onion until soft, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until it loses its pinkness, stirring and breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon, about 4 minutes. Add the artichokes and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook 1 minute, stirring, then add the mascarpone cheese, cream, and bouquet garni and stir again. Season with pepper, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until saucy, about 10 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, for every pound of pasta, bring 6 quarts of water to a rolling boil over high heat, salt abundantly with up to 1/2 cup of salt, then add the pasta in handfuls. Cook over high heat, stirring occasionally so the pasta doesn’t stick together, until al dente. Drain without rinsing.
Transfer the pasta to the casserole and toss with the sauce. Discard the bouquet garni. Serve with pecorino cheese.
Variation:
Note:
Posted: 12/21/2006