(You can do this with gnocchi too!)

Orecchiette is my favourite pasta, I love the texture. I like the simplicity of this recipe, but it does have a strong sage flavour. An alternative sausage pasta to the usual classic version with tomato.

Ingredients

• butter - 1/4 stick at least
• 8 oz italian sausage (remove cases with a knife along them and peel)
• 2 sprigs fresh sage (thinly chopped!)
• 8 oz orecchiette
• italian hard cheese blend (publix do a good one - parmesan, pecorino etc)

Method

Bring a pot of salted water to boil. Add a glug of olive oil and add the pasta. Cook until ready, stiring often (this pasta can often clump up).

Meanwhile, make sure the sausage is peeled and broken into small chunks, then heat a pan with half of the butter. When butter starts to foam, add the sausage to it, breaking it up more as you cook. Cook until it’s well browned adding the chopped sage near the end.

Drain the pasta, but reserve some of the water. Mix the pasta into the sausage and stir to combine. Add some of the pasta water to it to start to make a sauce. Add cheese to the pasta mix, and the rest of the butter. Keep stiring until a thick, cheesy sauce is formed. Season to taste and serve.