A one-pot meal of ground sweet Italian chicken sausage given a spicy kick with Calabrian chili peppers simmered in a fire-roasted sauce of tomatoes and red bell peppers with tender chunks of portobello mushrooms and finished with fresh basil and pecorino cheese.
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Prepare the Pasta: Cook the pasta until al dente, as the package recommends, but one minute shorter in a pasta pot. Drain the pasta, toss it in one tablespoon of olive oil, and lay it on a sheet pan to cool.
Prepare the Vegetables: While the pasta cooks, chop the onion and small dice the portobello mushrooms.
Cook the Vegetables: Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a Dutch oven on medium-high heat. Add the onions and mushrooms, season with salt and pepper, and stir until well combined. Then, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring halfway.
Cook the Sausage: While the vegetables cook, remove the casing from the Italian sausage and set aside. Uncover the pot and allow the excess liquid to evaporate, stirring occasionally for about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and combine it with the vegetables.
Turn the heat to high, and break the meat mixture into small pieces with a wooden spoon or spatula while it fries. Then, turn it back to medium-high heat and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.
Season the Sausage: Chop the garlic and add it, along with the Italian herb seasoning and the Calabrian pepper. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. While the sausage cooks, drain and chop the fire-roasted red bell peppers and set them aside.
Make the Sauce Base: Add the white wine, and when the wine is mostly absorbed, add the fire-roasted tomatoes and red bell peppers, cover, and cook for 5 minutes.
Finish the Pasta: Add the spaghetti and basil leaves and combine well. Once well incorporated, add the pecorino cheese and combine well.