Italian Sausage Penne with Radicchio and Green Olives
Food As Art with Jane Ellen Sexton
- 2 Tbsp. Olive Oil
- 10 oz. Sweet Italian Sausage, casings removed, meat crumbled
- 1 Large Red Onion, chopped
- 4 oz. head Radicchio, sliced thinly
- 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
- 1/4 tsp. Red Pepper Flakes
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup Dry White Wine
- 1 lb. Penne, cooked al dente (reserve 1 cup of cooking water)
- 1/3 cup brine-cured, Green Olives, cut off stone and roughly chopped.
- 1/4 cup Dried Currants
- 1/2 cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese
- Heat the olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.
- Add the sausage and cook until browned and cooked through, 7-10 minutes. Use a wooden sppon to stir and break it up into bite sized pieces.
- Using a slotted spoon remove sausage from pan.
- If pan seems dry add enough oil to have 3 Tbsp. in pan.
- Return pan to medium heat, add onion and cook until just tender. Stir and scrape so nothing sticks to pan.
- Add the radicchio, garlic, and red pepper flakes, season with salt and pepper, and toss until radicchio begins to sizzle.
- Add the wine, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the radicchio is tender, 6-8 minutes.
- Add the pasta and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, using more if too dry.
- Return sausage to pan and heat for a few minutes.
- Add the green olives, currants, and half of the parmesan, plus salt and pepper to taste.
- Add more pasta water if it seesm too dry.
- Serve warm with remaining parmesan cheese.