One Sausage, One Tomato, 100g Pasta, Meal Deal

This is exactly what it is. Per person, one sausage, one tomato, 100 grams of pasta, parsley, parmesan, salt and pepper. Sounds too easy to be true? Walk this way.

The pasta may not look like it’s coated in sauce, but it is, and it’s the perfect amount of sauce. This recipe was borne out of the need for a very quick and filling meal. I’m breaking my own rule of not writing out instructions, because I think the evolution of the sauce warrants it. Ignore the mix of penne and fusilli, was using up the last in the box of each.

Step 1.

Put your pasta on to boil according to directions. Don’t overcook as it will be heading into the sauce shortly. Drain, reserving about 2/3 of a cup of the salted pasta water per person to help thicken the sauce.

Step 2.

Meantime, remove skin from your one Italian pork sausage (approx 83 gram per sausage). These sausages should already contain spices such as fennel, chilli, pepper. In a large frypan, cook the sausage meat, breaking it up as you go along, using a small-holed potato masher works well.

Step 3.

Dice your one tomato and add to the sausage. Allow tomato to soften and then mash it with the masher as well. You’re going to get a nice orange sauce. Keep cooking for another minute or so. (These photos are of two sausages and one large tomato and a handful of cherry tomatoes.)

Step 4.

Add the salted pasta water and drained pasta to the frypan. Stir continuously so the remainder of the sauce seeps into the pasta by osmosis. This is a matter of a couple of minutes, and won’t make the pasta soggy if you haven’t overcooked in the first instance.

Step 5.

When there’s no more liquid and no more sauce can seep into the sausage tomato pasta, add parsley and a handful of parmesan, salt and pepper, and stir through.

“I am not [drunk]. I’ve only had half of four bottles of wine.”

-Linda Belcher, “Bob’s Burgers” (2011) SE03, E05, on her perfect amount of sauce