Equipment28cm frying pan and 3-litre saucepan. Food processor, fine grater and a mixing bowl.
Ingredients
0 of 9 ready
Method
- Pulse the mushrooms in short bursts until finely chopped, stopping before they become a wet paste. Pull the sausage meat into small, roughly 2cm pieces. Bring the saucepan of water to the boil.
- Heat the oil in the frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the sausage pieces in one layer and fry for 7–9 minutes, turning, until browned and cooked through. Check the centre of a larger piece reaches 75°C for 30 seconds. Transfer to a clean plate, leaving the fat in the pan.
- Add the mushrooms to the frying pan and cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring. Cook until the mushrooms begin to brown and most of the water they have released has evaporated. Remove from the heat.
- As the mushrooms cook, lightly salt the boiling water and add the rigatoni. Cook according to the packet until just al dente. If the mushrooms need longer, let them catch up before starting the pasta. Reserve 250ml pasta water before draining.
- Meanwhile, mix the yolks and 60g Parmesan into a thick paste. Gradually stir in 2–4 tbsp hot pasta water to make a smooth, pourable sauce, roughly the consistency of béchamel.
- Add the drained pasta and 2 tbsp pasta water to the mushrooms and toss. Return the pan to a low heat. Stir in the egg mixture until incorporated. The cheese mixture, mushrooms and pasta water should emulsify into a rich sauce. If the sauce is still thin, continue stirring over the lowest heat until it coats the pasta. Keep the heat low to prevent the egg yolks from scrambling.
- Fold in the sausage. Loosen with more reserved water, a tablespoon at a time, if needed. Taste before adding salt and pepper. Divide between two bowls and finish with the remaining Parmesan.
Top tip
Grate Parmesan from a block as finely as possible. Large shreds are harder to disperse in the yolks and can leave little clumps in the sauce.
Serve with
A complete pasta dinner as written; serve immediately while the sauce is loose and glossy.
