Sophie Grigson's Strascinati with Sausage, Radicchio, Walnuts and Red Wine
Treat yourself (or a special someone) to this sumptuous Strascinati dish with Sausage, Radicchio, Walnuts and Red Wine, taken from Series Two of Sophie Grigson: Slice of Italy.
Ingredients
For the Sauce
To Serve
Method
Step 1
Put a large pan of salted water on to heat up. When boiling add the pasta and cook until a shade less than al dente.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat a wide frying pan over a moderate heat. Toast the walnuts until patched with brown and tip out on to a plate. Carefully wipe out the pan without burning yourself, then return to the heat.
Step 3
Add the olive oil, onion and sausage. Fry until the onion is soft and translucent.
Step 4
Add the garlic and parsley and fry for a minute or so longer, then pour in the wine and add the tomato puree. Stir to dissolve the tomato puree, then let all bubble until the wine is reduced by about half – this will take just a minute or two.
Step 5
Add a ladle full of the cooking water from the pasta pot. Stir then add radicchio and toasted walnuts. Taste and add salt if needed, lots of freshly ground black pepper and a pinch or two of sugar if it tastes too acidic.
Step 6
By now the pasta should be cooked (if not, take the frying pan off the heat). Scoop out a mugful of the cooking water and reserve, then drain. Tip the pasta into the frying pan and raise the heat. Toss the pasta to coat in the sauce adding a slurp or two of the reserved pasta water.
Step 7
Once it is steaming hot, it is ready to serve. Scatter with the extra parsley, pass the Parmesan and dig in!
