Mushroom, Sausage and Chestnut Pasta

Mushroom, sausage and chestnut are a classic Italian combination. Come winter in all its splendour, the single-mindedness and simplicity of these ingredients, slowly cooked for maximum flavour, create the most exquisite comfort food.

Serves: 4-6

Prepare: 20 minutes

Cook: 35 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 300g chestnut mushrooms, finely sliced
• 4 sausages
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 500ml vegetable stock
• 200g cooked and peeled chestnuts (275g unpeeled weight), roughly chopped
• 250g dried ribbon pasta (tagliatelle or fusilli lunghi)
  
• 30g freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 handfuls flat parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1. Put the oil into a large cold frying pan. Squeeze the sausage meat out of the skins into the pan and break apart with a wooden spoon. Place the pan on a medium heat so the fat renders out, then fry until lightly golden, stirring occasionally.

2. Add the onion and a pinch of salt, cooking over a low heat for 5 minutes, until starting to soften. Add the mushrooms and garlic and cook for another 3-4 minutes. Pour in the stock and bubble over a medium heat until the liquid starts to turn syrupy-about 15-20 minutes. Stir in 150g chopped chestnuts and set aside.

3. Meanwhile, cook the tagliatelle according to pack instructions in boiling salted water. Just before it's cooked, stir in the parmesan cheese into the chestnut-mushroom mixture, along with ½ parsley, season.

4. Drain the pasta, reserving a few tablespoons of the cooking water. Toss the pasta through the mushroom sauce, adding a splash of the cooking liquid to keep things flowing, if needed.

5. Divide between pasta bowls, scatter with the remaining chestnuts and parsley, and sprinkle over a little more parmesan and a good grind of black pepper.

Tip: All kinds of ribbon pasta would work well here.