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Vesuvio Pasta
Named after the still active volcano in Naples, Italy (Mount Vesuvius), Vesuvio Pasta resembles in the infamous volcano. The pasta is shaped in a short, wide spiral. The shape is perfect to hold a variety of sauces.
Ingredients
- 1 pound ground pork sausage
- 1 8 ounce package mushrooms baby portobello or white button
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 3 14.5 ounce cans Roma tomatoes or cherry tomatoes I really like the Italian Mutti brand because of the less acidic taste
- 1/4 cup white wine you can substitute dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 pound dried Vesuvio pasta
- 2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons parmesan cheese grated
- 1 tablespoon Romano cheese grated
- 16 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese cut into small pieces (used fresh mozzarella pearls that are precut into small round pieces)
Instructions
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Cook the sausage on medium heat until no longer pink. This will take about 5 minutes.
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Add the butter, mushrooms and salt. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms cook down.
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Add the garlic. Cook for an additional minute.
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Stir in the tomatoes and wine. Cook for about 30 minutes, or until most of the Roma or Cherry tomatoes burst open.
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Add the parsley and red pepper flakes. The red pepper flakes will give the dish a little heat.
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Cook the Vesuvio pasta to the manufacturer's directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water. The starch in the pasta water will help thicken the sauce.
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Add the pasta, along with the 1/2 cup reserved pasta water to the tomato sauce. To this stir in the mascarpone, heavy cream, parmesan cheese, and Romano cheese.
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Stir in at least half of the fresh mozzarella and top the dish with the remaining mozzarella.
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Bake in a preheated oven for about 12 minutes, or until the mozzarella has melted into the pasta.