Beetroot fusilli, broccoli & salciccia

A quick and comforting pasta dish that can be done with any short pasta shape you want if you don’t want to make your own. The bitterness of the radicchio is well suited to pair with the creamy cheesy sauce.

Ingredients:

• 1 large shallot, chopped

• 4 Italian sausages, peeled and crumbled

• 15 gr of unsalted butter

• 30 gr of grated Grana Padano cheese

• 1 garlic clove

• ½ red chili pepper

• 150 gr broccoli

• 50 ml of white wine

• Fennel tops to garnish

• 3 tbsp of olive oil

• Salt and pepper to taste

For the beetroot pasta:

• 500 gr 00 flour

• 100 gr cooked beetroot with its juice

• 150 gr of eggs

• Extra flour to dust

Method

The crucial part is to blend the beets with the eggs and then use this mixture to knead the dough with the four. Incorporate the flour gradually. When the ingredients start to bind together knead by hands with energy. Remember, during this step it is important to stretch and pull your dough while kneading to allow the flour’s gluten to start working and therefore obtain an elastic dough. After a few minutes of working, it will slowly come together and result in a smooth and homogeneous dough. Remember to check the humidity of the doughs, if too sticky to your hands, feel free to dust with flour, if too dry and not binding, you can add a touch of the wet ingredients or even a splash of water.

When ready, wrap your dough in film and leave to rest for about 30 minutes, this will allow the dough to ‘relax’ and not be too elastic when shaping your pasta. Cut the strips into 5 cm pieces and make sure they are as thin as skewer you are working with. You can keep rolling them even after you cut them.

Now attach the end of the pasta strip under the ferretto (or a wooden skewer), just around it and roll all the way forward with the palm of your hand. With this gesture the pasta strip will curl over the skewer creating a beautiful spiral shape. Again, these are easier to make than explain how to.

To prepare the dressing, brown the garlic and chilli in olive oil, then remove them and add the chopped broccoli. Cover with water and cook until soft. Blend into a smooth puree, this is the base.

In a pan brown the sausages with a drizzle of oil. When starts to caramelize add the chopped shallot and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, let the alcohol evaporate and keep on the side.

Drop the fusilli in salted boiling water and cook for ¾ minutes. You want them cooked but still with a little ‘bite’. Toss the pasta directly into the pan with the sausages, add a ladle of pasta water, a knob of butter and the grated cheese. Stir with energy away from the stove and season to taste. Plate the broccoli purée on the bottom of the bowls, then add the pasta. Garnish with fennel tops and enjoy.