How to make the best ugly pasta in NJ with fridge leftovers

Had a few minutes the other night to prepare dinner.

When I get a few hours, I love putting together a pasta dish from whatever we have in the fridge.

Photo via Bill Spadea

Turn fridge leftovers into a pasta dish

We had a small tub of ricotta cheese and mushrooms from the Amish market that probably only had another day of fridge life left.

I started with my copper saucepan with some beef tallow. Melting it on low heat, I added a diced sweet onion.

Then I took six sausage links, Italian hot, garlic & white wine and broccoli rabe sausages from the Amish market.

I squeezed the meat out of the casing and added it to the pan with the onion.

I added some salt and black pepper, plus a little hot pepper, then covered and let it cook.

I then added some chopped Italian parsley and a few basil leaves that I rip into small pieces, and took a small pan, added some extra virgin olive oil, and sliced the fresh mushrooms.

The key to the mushrooms is to slice and let them sit in the oil cooking; don't touch them.

After a few minutes, when they start to brown, flip the mushrooms and add some kosher salt and black pepper.

That's it.

Set aside, you'll add this to the plated pasta dish.

Photo via Bill Spadea & Canva

Choosing the right pasta and cooking it al dente

Next step is to boil your pasta, we only use pasta which is from non-enriched non-bromated flour and formed with a bronze extruder.

I thought large rigatoni would be perfect for the crumbled sausage.

The pasta should take about 8 minutes, yes, you want it al dente.

While the pasta cooks, add some crushed garlic to the sausage still cooking on low heat and mix it in.

Then I grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into the sausage. When the pasta is cooked, scoop it out of the water and place it directly into the sausage pan.

You can add a little pasta water as well.

Slide the mix into a large bowl and mix in the ricotta cheese and top with more basil. When you plate it, then you can grate some additional cheese and top with mushrooms and fresh basil.

Enjoy.