This is my husbands all time favorite pasta dish. It is hearty, filling and with lots of mushrooms, onions and Italian sausage, just a little bit different than most traditional pasta dishes.
The sauce is creamy, but not heavy, so the pasta and the filling are definitely the stars of my farmers pasta. Everything comes together in one big skillet (or dutch oven) and will easily feed six. The leftovers reheat beautifully, so I always make the whole recipe and put two servings in the refrigerator for the next day and two servings in the freezer for later.
If you are in the mood for a big bowl of comforting, flavorful pasta, then let’s get started…
Begin by gathering 16 ounces of ground Italian sausage, 2 diced yellow onions, 16oz of chopped white or portobello mushrooms, 4 cloves of finely minced garlic, 2 cups of chicken stock, 2 cups of heavy cream, 16 ounces of dried penne, 1 cup of grated parmesan, 4 ounces of finely shredded parmesan, some salt and black pepper and a little bit of finely chopped fresh parsley for garnishing.
Start by adding about a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil into a large skillet, braiser or dutch oven. Remember that everything comes together in the same vessel, so choose something pretty roomy. Place this skillet over medium heat and cook the Italian sausage until it is browned, crispy, cooked through and broken into small pieces.
While the sausage is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil. As soon as the water begins boiling, add a large pinch of salt and cook your penne pasta according to the manufacturers instructions.
Once the Italian sausage is done, transfer it to a bowl and set it aside for now.
Next, the diced onions into the skillet and cook them for about 5 minutes or until they just start to soften. When the onions start to soften, add the chopped mushrooms and continue cooking until both the onions and mushrooms are softened and lightly caramelized.
Add the finely minced garlic and cook for another 60 seconds or so, stirring constantly. As soon as you begin smelling that fabulous garlic aroma, transfer the onions, mushrooms and garlic into a bowl and set aside for now.
Increase the heat to medium high and add 2 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of heavy cream. Season the sauce with a pinch of salt and black pepper and bring it to a simmer.
Once the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it into the simmering chicken stock and heavy cream mixture.
Simmer until the sauce begins to thicken a bit and then remove the skillet from the heat. Add 1 cup of grated parmesan and stir until incorporated.
Now, add the browned Italian sausage, caramelized onions, mushrooms and garlic and 4 ounces of finely shredded parmesan and mix to evenly distribute the ingredients.
Take a look at this! It is so inviting… one of those dishes that you already know that its going to be delicious before you even take your first bite.
Garnish each bowl with a little extra grated parmesan and some finely chopped fresh parsley.
Each bite is amazing. The flavors of the warmly spiced Italian sausage, earthy mushrooms and subtly sweet onions are perfectly complimented by the light cream sauce and all of that salty parmesan. This dish is just perfect for a cozy fall or winter evening. It is so comforting and really satisfying.
I can’t wait for you to make my farmers pasta! You are going to love it…
Farmers Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 ounces of Italian sausage, ground
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium yellow onions, diced
- 16 ounces of fresh mushrooms, chopped (white, button or portobello)
- 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 16 ounces of dried penne
- 1 cup of parmesan , grated
- 4 ounces of parmesan, finely shredded
- salt and black pepper
- fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and brown 16oz of Italian sausage over medium heat
- While the Italian sausage is cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add a large pinch of salt and cook the penne according the manufacturers directions
- Once the Italian sausage is browned and cooked through, transfer it to a bowl and set it aside for now
- In the same skillet, cook the diced onions for about 5 minutes before adding the chopped mushrooms and cooking until they are softened and lightly caramelized
- Add the finely minced garlic and cook for about 60 seconds, stirring constantly
- Transfer the onions, mushrooms and garlic into a bowl and set aside for now
- Add 2 cups of chicken stock and 2 cups of heavy cream, increase the heat to medium high and bring the mixture to a simmer
- When the pasta is cooked, drain it and add it into the simmering chicken stock and heavy cream mixture
- Once the sauce begins to thicken slightly, remove the skillet from the heat and add 1 cup of grated parmesan
- Once the parmesan is incorporated, add the browned Italian sausage, onions, mushrooms and garlic, along with 4 ounces of finely shredded parmesan and mix to combine
- Garnish with a little extra parmesan and some finely chopped fresh parsley
- Serve immediately
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator or the freezer
