Spicy Italian Sausage Orecchiette

Life is fluid. It isn’t captured by a single moment in time, nor held in one fixed shape. It changes and evolves, never standing still, even when things are good. And because of that, the difficult moments eventually pass. Recipes are much the same. They shift with mood, season, and availability. Flavors change, textures adjust, but the foundation often remains, quietly familiar.

The bowl was wheel-thrown and glazed by me.

This Spicy Italian Sausage Orecchiette has evolved over nearly twenty years. I first learned the foundation of this sauce in Veneto, Italy, almost two decades ago. Over time, it became my own, shaped by taste, circumstance, and instinct. The first change was the addition of spicy Italian sausage, followed by folding shredded cheese into the sauce while it was still on the stove. Swapping diced tomatoes for crushed felt like the natural next step. Cremini mushrooms and shishito peppers entered the picture after mornings wandering the Hollywood Farmers Market.

Chili powder was the most recent addition. I wanted a little more warmth while the sauce simmered. Just like life, it won’t be the last change. There is no final version, in cooking or otherwise.

INGREDIENTS
[serves 4 as a main course]
one 28-ounce can of crushed tomatoes
two spicy Italian sausages, casings removed and cooked
four cremini mushrooms, sliced
three shishito peppers, sliced
eight basil leaves, sliced
four garlic cloves, sliced
a quarter teaspoon of chili powder
olive oil
sea salt
a half cup of shredded Parmesan
a half cup of shredded Pecorino Romano
four servings of orecchiette, cooked al dente

Heat a Dutch oven over high heat. Drizzle in enough olive oil to coat the bottom and add the sliced garlic. Once the garlic becomes fragrant, remove it from the pot.

Add the crushed tomatoes and stir for about five minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and continue stirring occasionally for another five minutes.

Stir in the chili powder and cook for about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the sliced basil and let the sauce simmer, stirring now and then, for another five minutes. Add the mushrooms and shishito peppers and continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.

Add the cooked orecchiette, increase the heat to medium-high, and stir for two to three minutes. Add the cooked sausage and stir for another three to five minutes. Taste and season with two pinches of sea salt. Taste again and adjust as needed.

Add the shredded cheeses and reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir gently for three to five minutes, until the cheese melts into the sauce.

Serve and enjoy this Spicy Italian Sausage Orecchiette.

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