Orecchiette with Garlic Toulouse Sausages & Charred Courgettes

Serves 2

Takes 30 minutes

A wonderful summery pasta dish, perfect for balmy mid-week dinners. A silky light sauce from the emulsification of pecorino cheese and starchy pasta water coats the ‘little ears’ and seasonal veg perfectly whilst the Toulouse sausages offer a delicate garlicky undernote. A lovely simple meal for those evenings where the days are feeling rather long.

1. Begin by placing a wide and deep-ish pan on a medium heat with 1 tbsp olive oil, remove the casing from the sausages and crumble into the pan. Fry until browned and slightly crispy, approx. 10 minutes. Remove and set aside for later.
2. Add in the cubed courgettes and turn the heat up slightly, fry until softened and have become charred, when they are nearly done add in the garlic, continue to cook until the garlic has softened and become fragrant. Turn the heat back down to medium.
3. Set a pot of well-salted water onto boil, add in the orecchiette, cook for approx. 6 minutes. (this is for dried pasta not fresh, reduce the cooking time by half for fresh pasta).
4. Add the mushrooms and kale into the pan with the courgettes, cook down so the mushrooms soften and the kale wilts but still has a crunch. Add in the chilli flakes and oregano and stir through the veg.
5. Add the sausages back in and toss well to combine. Season with salt and pepper at this stage.
6. The orecchiette should now be al dente, begin by spooning the pasta straight from the pot into the pan with the sausages and veg, include a good few spoonfuls of the starchy pasta water.
7. Grate in a very generous amount of pecorino (don’t be shy, the amount is as much as you like), toss the pan so the cheese begins to emulsify with the pasta water, this will create a wonderful silky sauce that will coat everything beautifully.
8. Grate in the lemon zest at this stage and stir through.
9. Keep on the heat for a further 5 minutes, tossing occasionally, this will help thicken the sauce a little.
10. Spoon into bowls and finish with a grating of pecorino, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a final zest of lemon for freshness. Dig in and enjoy!

• 250g orecchiette pasta (or pasta of your choice)
• Olive oil, for frying
• 600g Garlic Toulouse sausages
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 800g courgettes, cubed into 2cm pieces
• 500g woodland mushrooms (or mushrooms of your choice)
• 150g kale
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• Zest of 1 lemon
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• Pecorino cheese, for grating
• Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling