Here’s a very different way to make pasta, and it’s wonderful. Instead of boiling it, you toast it, and then finish it the way you would a risotto. The toasted flavor really comes through, and the texture winds up with a satisfying kind of chewiness that seems to have a bit more comfort-food power than a traditional al dente. I read about it in a Mark Bittman recipe on the same day that my local butcher put out some homemade wild-rice-and-mushroom bratwursts. The two came together fantastically in this Garlicky Brats and Pasta.
Ingredients for 4 servings:
1 lb. fresh wild-rice-and-mushroom bratwursts
¼ cup olive oil
1 lb. of rigatoni
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
1½ cups homemade chicken stock
1 cup slivered Parmesan
¼ cup minced parsley
Red pepper flakes, to taste, optionally
How to do it:
- Place the bratwurst into a large skillet. Pour water into the skillet until it comes half-way up the sides of the sausages. Place the pan over a medium flame, and put a lid on it. Allow it to come to a simmer, and then let it simmer gently (adjusting heat as necessary) for 10 minutes, uncovered. Flip the sausages and simmer 10 more minutes. Remove the sausages and set aside. Pour the cooking liquid out of the pan and reserve.
- Add oil to the pan. Pour in rigatoni and garlic. Season it with salt and pepper (taking into consideration how heavily your stock is seasoned). Stir constantly until the pasta is toasted golden; be careful that the garlic doesn’t burn. Pour the sausage cooking water into the pan. Simmer until the liquid is reduced – almost boiled away – to a thick and gravy-like consistancy, stirring continually. Then, add stock; simmer until the liquid is once again thick, gravy-like, and almost boiled away, stirring continually.
- Meanwhile, slice the sausages into rounds.
- Test the pasta. If it’s not done, add 1 cup of water (or more stock, if you have it) and continue to simmer and stir until the liquid once again reaches the gravy-like stage. Repeat this step until the pasta is done to your liking.
- Add the sausage. Off heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.
- Toss with Parmesan, parsley, (and red pepper). Serve immediately.
Notes:
This recipe was inspired by How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman. Hoboken NJ: Wiley Publishing, 2007; pg. 450-51. I successfully carnivorized it; you’re welcome. It’s very flexible; you could create interesting variations on it using what you happen to have on hand. You could also vary the ingredients based on your tastes. You could use almost any kind of sausage, although – because its flavor is center stage in this dish – I would steer away from the traditional and more toward something exotic. This dish reheats quite well (add a few tablespoons of water per serving when reheating), but it’s one or two shades better when freshly made. Like a risotto, once it’s done, you can’t hold it very long; the pasta will continue to soak up liquid. So, again like a risotto, if timing is critical, you can stop when you’re about ½-¾ of the way through, and hold it there, off heat and covered, until you’re ready to finish it.
Fresh sausage needs to be cooked thoroughly (to about 160ºF), but it’s best not to cook it past that point. Don’t pierce the skin beforehand, and do not allow it to split during cooking.
If you were to omit the pasta toasting, this recipe would not be very much unlike one of my weeknight go-to, throw-it-togethers: garlic Parmesan pasta. (Note the double-negative, which will make that statement very easy to backtrack later if I feel compelled to. Thanks, Trump!)
Garlicky Brats and Pasta
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I have never ever heard of this pasta cooking technique. It sounds so flavorful! It’s actually the way I cook my brats – although I brown them first then add the beer. Next time I’ll use a broth and save it all. Can’t wait to make pasta this way!!!
Mimi recently posted…Cheese Panela
You know, I’d never heard of it, either. Bittman is amazing. It’s very, very tasty. Although I didn’t use beer for the brats, I’m sure that if I had, it would’ve been very interesting to boil it into the pasta. Maybe wheat pasta.
Friggin LOVE brats, but all-beef ones, so I guess they’re not the typical brats… But man I did love pork ones when I was a kid, the WHITE ones, however, I don’t eat pork anymore!
GiGi Eats recently posted…Let’s Make Love… To The Camera
I get’cha. These weren’t the white ones. Anywho, I’ll betcha that you could make this sweet dish with beef brats.
Golden toasted pasta with bratwurst…that’s a filling and very delicious combo! I would definitely need a 2nd helping!
angiesrecipes recently posted…Mango Curd Bread
I certainly did!
I don’t care how the pasta is cooked, this looks delicious.
Thanks, Ben!
Toasting pasta!? Say what? I’m intrigued, Jeff. I’ve gotta try this one sometime soon. And I definitely approve carnivorizing this meal…it sounds like comfort food on a plate to me!
David @ Spiced recently posted…Frozen Strawberry Lemonade
Yeah, isn’t that interesting? It’s really delicious.
Thanks to your White Borscht post I now have an excellent source German and/or Polish sausages. This recipe makes me excited to go there to pick up some brats.
That is so awesome!
What a fun dish! I know the pasta toasting (roasting?) technique, but havne’t tried it. I gotta! And I LOVE brats — one of my favorite sausages. Neat recipe — thanks.
John / Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Blueberry-Lemon Parfait
I hope you do, John. I’d never heard of it before, and it was really good. Worth a try.
Toasting the pasta eh? Nice! And new to me. And to accompany bratwurst from the butchers? Sold! I love this. I’m a huge fan of brats!
Yeah, new to me, too!
Those bratwurst sound great. Nothing like that over this way, but we’ve a few fresh sausages here I think will work. Great idea to toast the pasta and cook it much like risotto. I’ve not heard of that before but look forward to giving it a try soon.
Ron recently posted…Lomma, a Swedish seaside village…
I hope you do, Ron. I really, really liked it as a different way of cooking pasta.
Looks tasty, Jeff! I love sausage and pasta although I have to admit I never thought to use anything but fresh sausages or, for that matter, to toast the pasta, although I know the Chinese do it to great effect. A dish that would definitely cause a scandal with Italians, but I’m intrigued… !
Frank recently posted…Pesche grigliate (Grilled Peaches)
Thanks, Frank! A little scandal is a good thing. 😉
looks very beautiful, and beautiful pictures
Thanks, Iza!
Cooking the pasta in the water that the sausage had been cooked in sounds like it would really enhance the flavor of the pasta.
I think it did, Sheryl.
I cooked some of the recipes for a morning show for Mark late last year. He is awesome, so kind and generous with compliments. I received a draft copy of the book and was supposed to get a final but it never happened. I love the way this pasta is cooked, the texture sounds and looks amazing. Definitely going to bookmark this gorgeous recipe. Nicely done.
Eva Taylor recently posted…Kentucky Derby, Progressive Dinner ##…I’ve lost count!
God, how awesome! I’m sure he was probably amazing in person. What a cool thing that you got to meet him.
Pasta is what we eat occasionally but I wonder if I can add chicken instead of sausages because me and my family usually doesn’t eat sausages! Does cutting off sausages change the taste of the recipe?
Yes, of course it will, but I wouldn’t hesitate to do it. Especially if you had a really nice sear on the chicken (which would have such nice flavor).