QUATTRO COLORE FARFALLE IN VODKA SAUCE

One of the downsides of my passion for fancy food markets is coming home with a bag of unusual ingredients that I end up sticking in the back of my pantry only to throw out five years later when I get the urge to purge.

But I did manage to salvage a bag of four-color farfalle before its expiration date and I thought it might go well with a vodka sauce. I added some spicy turkey sausage and mushrooms to give the dish a bit more depth. Buon appetito!

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 pound ground hot turkey sausage

1 Vidalia onion, diced

1 cup mushrooms, sliced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 28 oz. can crushed tomatoes

½ cup vodka

¼ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon crushed red peppers

salt and pepper, to taste

1 lb tri-color farfalle (or any pasta)

4 quarts of water, salted

3 tablespoon heavy cream

1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

PREPARATION

Heat two tablespoons of olive oil in pan. Brown the turkey sausage, breaking it up into small pieces. Remove and set aside.

Add one tablespoon of olive oil and the onion. Sauté over medium heat for three minutes. Add mushrooms and sauté another minute. Add garlic, sauté one minute. Add back cooked ground sausage. Add crushed tomatoes and vodka. Season with dried oregano, crushed dried red peppers, salt and pepper. Stir and bring to light boil, then simmer for 30 minutes. (This can be made in the morning, or day before. Just reheat when ready to eat.)

Bring salted water to a boil. Add in pasta and cook as per instructions. Drain well.

When ready to serve, add 3 tablespoons of heavy cream to the sauce. Stir until incorporated and heat through for one minute.

Serve pasta in bowls. Add sauce on top of pasta. Sprinkle pasta with parmesan cheese. Garnish with sprig of basil.