One-Pot Italian Sausage and Orecchiette Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (for searing)
• 1 lb sweet Italian sausage links (approx. 5-6 links)
• 2 carrots (diced)
• 1 tbsp Italian seasoning (dried herb blend)
• 3 clove garlic (minced)
• 56 oz crushed tomatoes (two 28-oz cans; organic no-salt preferred)
• 0.5 cup water (used to rinse tomato cans)
• salt (to taste)
• 1 Parmesan rind (for flavoring the sauce)
• 1 lb orecchiette pasta (or favorite pasta shape)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat your multi-cooker using the 'sear' setting.

2. 2

   Add a little bit of extra virgin olive oil to the pot.

3. 3

   Place the sweet Italian sausages into the pot, laying them down and away from you to avoid splashes. Sear them on both sides until they reach a nice golden brown color (GBD - Golden Brown and Delicious).

4. 4

   Add the diced carrots and Italian seasoning to the pot with the sausages. Stir to combine and sauté briefly until fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the minced garlic and stir for about 30 seconds to a minute, being careful not to burn it.

6. 6

   Pour in the first can of crushed tomatoes. Add a small amount of water to the empty can, swirl it around to get all the remaining sauce out, and pour that into the pot. Repeat this process with the second can of tomatoes.

7. 7

   Season the sauce with a little bit of salt and drop in the Parmesan rind.

8. 8

   Secure the lid on the multi-cooker. Set it to 'braise' and cook for 1 to 1.5 hours until the sauce is rich and the sausages are tender.

9. 9

   While the sauce finishes, bring a separate large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the orecchiette pasta and cook until al dente according to package directions.

10. 10

    Once the braising time is complete, open the multi-cooker. Remove and discard the Parmesan rind.

11. 11

    Transfer the cooked pasta directly into the sauce using a slotted spoon or spider, allowing some of the starchy pasta water to carry over. This helps the sauce adhere to the noodles.

12. 12

    Give everything a final mix to coat the pasta thoroughly. Serve directly from the multi-cooker pot at the table.

Notes

The author emphasizes using a Parmesan rind to add deep umami flavor to the sauce. If you don't have a multi-cooker, this can be prepared in a Dutch oven on the stovetop over low heat for the braising step. The pasta water is a key ingredient for the final texture of the sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• main dish
• one-pot
• pasta
• sausage
• dinner
• slow-cooked
• family-style