Mafaldine with Calabrese Sausage and Peppers

     There are several Italian sausage and pepper pasta recipes.  There is an even wider variety of Italian sausage.  A dry cured hard Italian Calabrese sausage was used to make this recipe.  This recipe is similar to a Sicilian styled sausage and pepper entree, but the seasonings are like those used where mafaldine pasta is popular.
     Mafaldine pasta was named after the Italian Princess Mafaldine.  She married a German officer during World War II and the marriage led to a tragic end for the princess.  She was sent to a concentration camp and later died there from a bomb blast.  A tragic love story it was.  Later, the ruffle edge thin pappardelle pasta was named after the memory of Princess Mafaldine.
     Mafaldine is a very pretty looking pasta on a plate.  Any sauce that accompanies papperdelle or fettucini is nice with mafaldine.  Olive oil sauces are good with mafaldine too.  Mafaldine is considered to be an artisan pasta.
  
     Mafaldine with Calabrese Sausage and Peppers Recipe:
     Start cooking the pasta about 2 minutes after the sauce is started.  This way, the sauce and pasta will finish at the same time.  At that moment, cook 1 portion of mafaldine pasta in boiling water over high heat, till it becomes al dente.
     Heat a saute pan over medium heat.
     Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
     Add 1 sliced shallot.
     Add 2 sliced garlic cloves.
     Saute till the garlic turns golden in color.
     Add 1 handful of mixed red and green bell pepper that is cut into thick strips.
     Saute till the peppers start to become tender.
     Add 3 to 4 ounces of thin sliced Italian calabrese sausage.
     Saute for 1 minute.
     Add 1/4 cup of Italian dry red wine.
     Add 1/2 cup of imported Italian peeled crushed plum tomatoes.
     Add 1 pinch of basil.
     Add 1 small pinch of oregano.
     Add 1 pinch of crushed dried red pepper.
     Add sea salt and black pepper.
     Add 2 chopped fresh sage leaves.
     Add 3 to 4 pinches of chopped Italian parsley.
     Add 1/2 cup of rich veal broth.
     Simmer and reduce the sauce, till a medium thin bodied tomato broth sauce is formed.
     Drain the water off of the mafaldine pasta when it becomes cooked al dente.
     Add the mafaldine pasta to the sauce in the pan.
     Add 1 ounce of virgin olive oil.
     Toss the pasta and sauce together.
     Mound the pasta and sauce on a plate.
     Sprinkle a few pinches of grated parmesan cheese over the pasta.
     Garnish with Italian parsley sprigs.
  
     Just enough sauce should made to flavor the pasta and not flood it.  The Italian Calabrese sausage has a nice rich dry cured sausage flavor with a hint of hot pepper and sweetness.  Calabrese is most often used to flavor ragu recipes.  The flavor of Calabrese sausage and peppers is a nice combination.
     Good imported canned Italian crushed peeled plum tomatoes require very little cooking time, especially if they are San Marzano plum tomatoes.  The sage is the main herb flavor in this entree and the shallot flavor can be noticed.
     This Mafaldine pasta is pretty to look at.  The flavors of this recipe are exceptionally nice tasting!  Ciao Baby!  ...  Shawna