Pecked by Ducks

As you now know, I am in love with Martha Stewart. I like to call myself a devote/wannabe. My problem is, I just can’t follow the directions. I always do it different. Whether because I don’t have all the ingredients or because it takes too dang long, or because it is missing a salty ingredient that I crave (feta fixes almost anything) or an ingredient is too exotic for the boy-a-las or too expensive for me. My complex is always…I could do that…only better, well, okay, maybe not better, but easier. Humm, occasionally, easier is better so…I could do that…only better!

Anyway, a long time ago, wait let me check her site… oh, 2002, Martha made Tagliatelle Contadina with Silvano Marchetto. I have made the recipe the way Marchetto intended it here. And it is fab. But it takes a long time, or well, a lot of paying attention to and some fresh herbs that I don’t always have on hand. So here is my quick - oh crap it’s 5 o’clock and I haven’t thought about dinner yet - version.

Note: for mashing dried herbs I use a Molcajete. It works much better than a mortar and pestle which I have always found to be too flimsy.

4 fresh sage leaves (or replace with 1 Tbs dried)

2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or replace with 2 tsp dried)

6 Italian sausages (hot or mild or 3 and 3 up to you or replace with ground beef)

1-3 tablespoons olive oil (just enough to drizzle around the bottom of the pan)

1/2 to 3/4 cup heavy cream

1 large can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup frozen peas or blanched fresh peas

Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (or parmesan or freshly grated from a container:)

1 pound fresh tagliatelle (or any pasta you like)

1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes (delete for kids)

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Meanwhile, using Molcajete, mash sage and rosemary together into a thick paste or powder for dried and add to sausage while browning. Remove the casings from the sausages, and knead them gently together by hand.

2. In a large sauté pan wide and deep enough to hold all the ingredients, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage, and cook, using a spatula to break up the sausage, until starting to brown. Add herbs and continue cooking until browned, about 5 minutes total. Pour out excess fat.

3. Add cream, and tomatoes to the sausage. Cook, stirring, 5 minutes.

4. Add salt and pasta to the boiling water, and cook according to directions. Drain pasta.

5. Add peas to sausage and cook, 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. Cook until heated through, about 1 minute.

6. Add immediately to pasta. Toss well to combine. Serve sprinkled with crushed red-pepper flakes (optional).