Description
This Winter Pasta with Mushrooms, Sausage Meatballs, Walnuts & Crispy Sage is a cozy and flavorful dish perfect for chilly days. Featuring tender Italian sausage meatballs, caramelized mushrooms, crunchy toasted walnuts, and crispy sage leaves, all tossed with short-cut pasta in a creamy sauce, this recipe delivers a comforting balance of textures and savory flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Meatballs
- 8 oz. sweet Italian sausage
- Extra virgin olive oil (for frying)
Pasta & Sauce
- 8 oz. dried short-cut pasta (such as farfalle or rigatoni)
- 1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 lb mushrooms (such as cremini, shiitake, oyster, or chanterelles)
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup half and half or heavy cream
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- Shaved parmesan or romano cheese for topping
Instructions
- Form and Cook Sausage Meatballs: Remove the sausage from its casing and shape into small meatballs. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry meatballs until browned, crisp, and fully cooked through. Once done, set them aside on a plate.
- Cook Pasta and Sage: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the dried pasta until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water. In the same skillet used for the meatballs, heat some olive oil and fry the fresh sage leaves until they become crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Caramelize Mushrooms: Add butter to the skillet and sauté the mushrooms along with fresh thyme, chopped garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally until the mushrooms are golden, caramelized, and tender.
- Finish the Dish: Pour the half and half or heavy cream into the skillet with the mushrooms and stir to combine. Add the cooked pasta, sausage meatballs, and chopped fresh parsley. Toss everything together and adjust the sauce consistency using the reserved pasta water if needed.
- Serve: Transfer the pasta mixture to a serving bowl. Top with the crispy fried sage leaves, toasted walnuts, and shaved parmesan or romano cheese. Serve immediately and enjoy this warming, flavorful winter dish.
Notes
- Reserve some pasta water to loosen the sauce if it becomes too thick.
- Use a mix of mushroom varieties for more depth of flavor and texture.
- Frying sage leaves until crispy adds a lovely herbal crunch and aroma.
- Half and half makes the sauce lighter, but heavy cream will yield a richer texture.
- To toast walnuts, dry roast them in a skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
