Ragu Does NOT Come From a Jar

It's the sauce, man. The sauce. In the words of the large italian guy, it's like dressing a salad, not pouring soup over noodles.

I forgot to take the first prep shot...sorry. J was coming at 8:30 and he only gets a short dinner break. C was coming too, but she parks on the futon while I finish the cooking. In any case, you won't get the pretty vegetables all washed and ready to be sliced, the can of diced tomatoes waiting patiently, the fresh herbs, the knife, and the board. It's not going to happen. Instead, you get this:

That my friends is tasty. Trust me, it got in my belly.

At that point (and because I remembered I needed to take pictures of all this) I took my one prep shot. It's significant. I'm not a fan of the shrooms. But I specifically bought them for this recipe. Food Network inspired. It was similar to one of RR's dishes when she cooked with the large italian guy. Battle Cranberry, dontcha know?

Then I decided this S#$% tasted gooooooood, and looked good too. So I took this as J was walking in:

After that, we put in on plates. Really, you could put this in bowls. C asked for a spoon mid-meal. The better with which to shovel. Here's what she shoveled:

And, since I didn't get this recipe from any magazine or book, I'm going to share with you what went from my head to my plate. It was damn tasty. Red thought so. J and C were happy with it.

Orichette with Spicy Sausage and Mushroom Ragu

I refuse to tell you how to cook pasta. Read the bag/box. Really, they know what they're talking about. Please salt the water. It's important...

The Ragu

• 1 pound hot italian sausage
• 1 red onion, medium dice
• 2 large carrots, small dice
• 4 celery stalks, small dice
• 1 carton mushrooms (you pick, go wild if you like, I didn't)
• 4 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 T dried basil (or fresh, like I said, go wild)
• 2 t crushed red pepper
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Brown the sausage. I removed it from the casings and crumbled it. Go for about 5 minutes on medium heat here.
2. Add in the onions for 3 minutes (salt here to sweat not to season), then the carrots, celery, and garlic(a touch more salt to sweat). Let it saute for 5-6 minutes until the carrots really start to soften.
3. Add the mushrooms for 2 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes and the sauce, stir through for a minute.
5. Add the broth, basil, and crushed pepper and bring to a simmer.
6. Put the sauce on the noodles and eat it.