I am the happy recipient of pasta made by a neighbor who is experimenting with her first pasta machine. I'm in her debt for many reasons, including her patience and willingness to review new recipes and sample dishes that I've sent her way over the years. Several years ago, she nearly froze to death sampling my almost daily experiments with ice cream, so I dare not tease her. As a matter of fact, I'm thrilled, and even further in her debt, because her pasta has sent me searching for new ways in which to prepare it. I've found some fabulous recipes, including the one I'm featuring tonight. It comes from food52 and the original recipe can be found here. I've simplified the instructions a bit, but for the most part I've stayed true to the recipe as it was published. I cook my pasta, fresh or dried, in about 6 quarts of boiling salted water. I add a teaspoon of salt for each quart of water that I use. The salt flavors the pasta and the cooking water that I also use to finish most of my sauce recipes. This sauce is best described as gutsy and it is packed with stick-to-the-ribs flavor. Those of you who try this recipe will love it. It is easy to prepare and it's a perfect meal to serve on those first chilly nights of fall. Here's how this dish is made.

Fettuccine with Sausage, Broccoli and Cheese

Ingredients:

1 pound bulk Italian sausage, a mix of hot and sweet if possible

3 tablespoons olive oil

3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/2 cup dry white wine or dry white vermouth

1 cup low sodium chicken stock

1 pound fettuccini

1-1/2 cups small broccoli florets

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

3 tablespoons butter

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

Directions:

1) Heat olive oil in a wide, heavy pan set over medium-high heat. When it shimmers, add sausage and break into small clumps with back of a wooden spoon. Saute, stirring occasionally, until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage from pan to a plate using a slotted spoon. Keep warm.

2) Reduce heat to medium and add garlic to pan. Cook just until soft and fragrant. Do not let garlic burn. Add wine, scraping brown bits from bottom of pan. Reduce wine by about two thirds, then add chicken broth. Return sauce to a boil and reduce until sauce darkens and becomes somewhat syrupy, about 7 to 10 minutes. Add thyme leaves. Remove pan from heat.

3) Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add broccoli and cook until just tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove broccoli from pan. Set aside.

4) Bring water back to a boil. Add fettucini and cook, per package instructions, until al dente. Skim off about 1 cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain fettucini and fold into sauce, tossing gently to coat pasta strands. Set pan over medium-low heat, add butter and a little of reserved pasta water. Return sausage and broccoli to pan and stir to incorporate. Add Parmesan cheese and enough pasta water to make a silky sauce. Toss again. Taste for seasoning, adding salt ans pepper to taste. Serve immediately, passing additional cheese at the table. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.

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