Sausage & Broccolini Pasta

Ingredients:

3/4 – 1 lb. broccolini or broccoli raab

8 oz. crimini or mini Portobello mushrooms, sliced

7 links hot Italian sausage, skins removed, broken into small pieces

1 lb. linguini

4 Tbs. butter, melted

1/3 cup olive oil

1 tsp. red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

Steam broccolini until tender. Drain and set aside. Sauté mushrooms and half the garlic in butter until soft. Remove from heat and set aside. Cook linguini in boiling water until al denté. Drain but don’t throw out the water. Place olive oil, sausage and remaining garlic in large skillet. Sauté until sausage is well cooked. Add broccolini and cook another 10 minutes on low heat to allow the flavor to infuse the broccolini. Add mushrooms and stir.

Refresh the pasta in the reserved hot water, drain and add to the sausage mixture. Toss well and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.

Serving Suggestion:

Add a crisp green salad and a good Italian red wine for a simple but flavorful meal.

Variation:

Broccoli raab, although a little stronger flavor, works well as a substitute for the broccolini. The broccolini or broccoli raab may be stir fried in olive oil along with the sausage instead of steaming.

History:

I had this tasty dish at an Italian Restaurant in New Jersey while visiting Basil, a close fishing buddy who is an editor for CBS’s 48 hours in addition to running his own Internet Tackle Business “Topshots by Basil.”

Jim Carlisle, Michelle and Basil joined us for Paella one evening.