Tomato Pasta Tagliolini with a Sausage and Zucchini Ragú

Ingredients

4 oz Tagliolini Pomodoro

3 tbsp Dievole Extra Virgin Olive Oil

6 oz Beresford’s Sage Sausage

2 medium zucchini

1 red onion

5 oz cherry tomatoes (1 oz reserved for garnish)

4 cloves garlic

1 lemon, zested and juiced (reserve 1 tsp for garnish)

6 oz dry white wine

3 oz butter

1 tbsp fresh thyme (reserve a ½ tsp for garnish)

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp red pepper flakes

½ tsp ground black pepper

Sale fino to taste

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil

2. Small dice the red onion, set aside

3. Large dice the zucchini, set aside

4. Quarter the cherry tomatoes, set aside

5. Smash and thinly slice the garlic cloves

6. In a large sauté pan or Dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp of the extra virgin olive oil

7. Once hot, add the ground sausage and allow to brown

8. Once brown, add the diced red onion and a pinch of salt

9. Cover and stir occasionally, for about 10 minutes

10. Once the onions are soft, stir in the zucchini, garlic, and another pinch of salt

11. Season with paprika, red pepper flakes, and pepper

12. After sautéing the zucchini for about 7 minutes, add in 3 oz of the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate the fond, cover again for about 5 minutes

13. Once the zucchini begins to get soft, add in the cherry tomatoes, thyme, and lemon zest; cover for 7 minutes

14. Taste the sauce, the zucchini should be soft and creamy and almost “melting” into the rest of the sauce, if not cover for another 5 minutes

15. Add the rest of the white wine and the lemon juice, stir

16. Turn off the heat and cover

17. Add the pasta to the boiling, salted water and boil for about 3 minutes or until tender

18. Uncover the pot and slowly stir in the butter

19. Taste and adjust salt and spice level as desired

20. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve ½ cup of pasta water, and drain before adding to the pot

21. Mix in the pasta and add in the pasta water 2 tbsp at a time until creamy a. The pasta water has starch that helps the sauce cling to the pasta

22. Plate and garnish with fresh cherry tomatoes, lemon zest, and thyme

This is a perfect summer pasta dish that is rich from the tomato pasta and sausage, while also being bright and fresh from the lemon! It is a great way to utilize all of the summer zucchini! The ragú can also be frozen for later use, and if too thick add some chicken stock to thin it out.