Every so often you come across a recipe that is so unique and different, it piques your curiosity. I probably would have kept right on scrolling but Food & Wine named this recipe one of their 40 best recipes in 2018. That coupled with the short list of ingredients and quick preparation time made me decide to give this recipe a try.
The fact that the recipe called for an entire cup of fresh basil was yet another reason I pulled the trigger and cooked this tasty dish. It’s mid-October and my Basil plant is still going strong, but I know the coming cooler temps will bring an end to my abundance in sort order. This recipe was the perfect way to use up some of the lovely fresh basil from my garden.
Learn how to properly harvest basil so you always have more than enough to make this delicious pasta anytime you want.
Mmmmm…is there a better scent than fresh basil from your own garden?
Gather together the remaining ingredients, and it’s a pretty short list; olive oil, hot Italian sausage, white wine, Rigatoni, grainy mustard, heavy cream, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper and Pecorino Romano cheese. The original recipe doesn’t call for the cheese but I added it when I served this pasta and it was the perfect topping. I mean who eats pasta with out topping it with some cheese? Right?
I recommend using the highest quality ingredients you can find for this recipe. Because there are so of them; each brings a lot of flavor to this unique pasta dish. Mustard plays such an important role in this dish, the next time I make it, I will be experimenting with a more unique grainy mustard instead of using a more standard whole grain mustard. Don’t get me wrong, it was phenomenal with just an organic whole grain mustard, but using a more exotic variety would really make this pasta dish even better! This is the recipe that you want to pull out that unique mustard you have hanging out in the pantry; the one you picked up at a gourmet food shop wondering what you were going to do with it.
As I stood in the grocery store trying to decide on what mustard to try, I realized just how many different varieties there are. The selection was huge, and this was just at my local grocery store. I’ve seen some really unique mustards at gourmet food shops too. So I decided that a little research on mustard was in order. And as you might suspect, I found there are a lot of varieties to choose from. Foodrepublic.com did an awesome write up on mustard if you care to dig even deeper than what I’m sharing with you today.
So what’s all the hoopla with mustard about anyways?
One thing I didn’t realize is that Mustard is actually quite simple to make. It’s made by grinding mustard seeds and mixing them into an acidic liquid such as vinegar, or wine or just plain water. The liquid helps release the enzymes and oils in the mustard that gives it its lovely tangy bite.
Did you know you can even make your own mustard? It’s as simple as mixing together mustard powder and vinegar until you have a smooth paste. Let the mixture sit for about 10-15 minutes for the oils and enzymes to do their thing, and viola, you have homemade mustard. Yes it really is that easy! Who knew?
Most commercial yellow mustards are made with white mustard seeds and turmeric (which gives it the bright yellow color we are all so familiar with). They are the mildest of the different varieties of mustard seeds and used in the yellow mustard we commonly use at cook outs on burgers and hot dogs.
Dijon mustard uses a white wine rather than vinegar and produces a sharper, more complex flavor. I remember the commercials as a young girl where a gloved hand would reach out the car window, and a British voice would ask, “Please pass the Grey Poupon”. I thought you were either snooty-patooty, or very sophisticated if you used Grey Poupon instead of regular old mustard, LOL.
Spicy Brown mustards consist of a blend of white and the spicier brown mustard seeds. The brown seeds have more heat than the white seeds and give brown mustard a deeper, sharper flavor than yellow mustards. This mustard is typically coarser and commonly served on hot dogs from New York City hot dog carts and it’s the delicious mustard used on deli pastrami sandwiches served on Rye bread! Doesn’t a Pastrami on Rye slathered with a good robust brown mustard sound yummy?
Whole grain mustards, as their name states, uses whole grains of mustard seeds.
Then there are English, German and Chinese mustards. These mustards typically have more heat than American mustards. Chinese mustards are so hot they will literally clear your sinuses!
Or how about all the sweet mustard varieties, like Honey Dijon for example. These mustards provide a lovely sweet/tangy flavor profile that is delicious in salad dressings.
And there are numerous other flavored mustards. Does a Horseradish mustard sound good to you? How about a Sriracha or Habanero flavored mustard? Maybe a nice Balsamic Mustard sounds good to you; that one actually sounds like it would be lovely to use in this pasta dish. There are an almost endless variety of flavor combinations to choose from and experiment with.
Well, now that you know more about mustard than you ever thought you wanted to know, lets get this recipe going so we can enjoy shoveling it in our face!!!
Start by cooking the pasta according to the package directions.
While the pasta is cooking place a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Heat over medium and add the Italian sausage.
Cook sausage until it is fully cooked through, breaking it up into smaller chunks with a spatula as you brown it.
Once the sausage is fully cooked, add the white wine to deglaze the pan. Use your spatula to scrape up all the browned bits in the bottom of the pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until wine has reduced by half.
Add mustard, red pepper flakes and heavy cream to the skillet and stir to combine. Reduce heat slightly if needed and bring mixture to a low simmer.
Simmer for a minute or two, to thicken the sauce slightly.
Your pasta should be done at this point. Drain pasta and place in a large serving dish.
Add sausage/mustard cream sauce to the pasta.
Add basil and stir to combine all the ingredients.
Taste and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper.
Serve immediately topped with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
Try not to make a pig of yourself as you shovel this in your face! I can see why this pasta dish was voted as one of the top recipes for Food and Wine. It has an unusual combination of ingredients that taste phenomenal together!!! Add in how easy it is to make and you have a winner, winner pasta dinner!
Pairs beautifully with a smooth Merlot.
I know this one is going into my regular rotation of meals. Especially on nights when I don’t have a lot of time but want a comfortie, flavorful pasta meal that’s easy to prepare. I hope you give this one a try. I think you are going to be pleasantly surprised at how yummy it is!!!
Mustard Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb Rigatoni pasta
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1½ lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tbsp grainy mustard
- ½ tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced, chopped
- ½ cup Pecorino Roman cheese, freshly grated
Instructions
- Cook pasta al dente, according to package directions.
- While pasta cooks, prepare mustard sauce.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and cook sausage over medium heat, breaking it up as it cooks.
- Add white wine to the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes until reduced by half scraping up any browned bits in the bottom of the pan.
- Add cream, mustard, and red pepper flakes. Simmer for a few minutes until sauce thickens slightly and is heated through.
- Remove sauce from heat and combine with cooked, drained pasta and fresh basil.
- Serve immediately topped with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.
Did You Make This?
Snap a pic and hashtag it #naturewayblog — I love to see your creations! Don’t forget to comment and leave a review, or tag me on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!
May I ask a small favor? If you enjoyed this blogpost would you be so kind and like the page? It lets me know what you are enjoying the most. It also helps me focus my attention on creating content that will be most meaningful and beneficial for you, my readers. And don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss out on all the latest that’s happening here at Nature Way. Thank you!