Bucatini with mushrooms and sausage

• dried porcini mushrooms↗20g g
• olive oil↗3 tbsp tbsp
• large sausages↗4

  e.g., Italian or Cumberland (if using Cumberland, add a pinch of fennel seed to the meat during cooking…)

• bucatini↗400g g
• garlic cloves↗4

  sliced

• chili flakes↗1-2 tsp tsp
• white wine↗125ml ml
• cream↗150ml ml
• nutmeg↗grating of

  grated

• flat-leaf parsley↗large handful of

  coarsely chopped

• parmesan↗

  grated, for serving

Step-by-step instructions

1. 1

   Place the dried porcini mushrooms in a large pot with 600 ml of boiling water from the kettle. Put over low heat and simmer for 10–15 minutes until slightly reduced, to obtain an intense mushroom broth.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Remove the meat from the casings of the large sausages into the pan and fry for 5–8 minutes, breaking it up with a wooden spoon while cooking, until browned.

3. 3

   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the bucatini and toss with tongs so they don’t stick. Cook for 9 minutes. At the same time add the garlic cloves and chili flakes to the sausage meat and fry for 1 minute, then pour in the white wine. Cook for another 5 minutes until the wine evaporates, then add the rehydrated mushrooms and broth (about 350 ml should remain). Season with salt and black pepper, bring to a boil.

4. 4

   After about 9 minutes, use tongs to transfer the bucatini directly from the cooking water into the mushroom sauce. The mixture will initially look quite liquid, but the secret is to finish the bucatini by simmering them in the broth—they will absorb all the liquid and develop an earthy flavor. Stir the pasta in the broth with tongs for about 3 minutes, or until most of the water has evaporated. Add the cream, grated nutmeg and parsley. Mix well, taste and serve, sprinkled with a generous amount of parmesan.