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for the sauce:

• one quarter cup extra virgin olive oil
• one pound fresh soppresseta or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• one and one-half cups dry white wine
• four medium cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped fine
• one small carrot, finely chopped
• one medium onion, finely chopped
• one celery rib, finely chopped
• one half teaspoon red pepper flakes
• one teaspoon ground fennel
• one-half teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
• one 28-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, whole
• one half cup grated fresh Parmesan
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• one-quarter cup chopped basil
• one-quarter cup chopped parsley

for the pasta:

• one pound of spaghetti

Mix the sausage, the fennel, the black pepper and the red pepper in a bowl along with one of the chopped garlic. Mix very, very well with a wooden spoon ansd set aside, covered, in the refrigerator (even overnight).

Put the oil in a medium-sized sauté pan, over medium heat. Add the garlic. When the garlic starts to sizzle, add the sausage mixture and cook over high heat, constantly stirring and breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon until the meat is lightly browned. Add the carrots, celery and onion and cook on a medium heat for four minutes or so, stirring regularly, until softened. Add the wine and cook for several minutes, scraping the pan, until the alcohol is dissipated.

Roughly chop the tomatoes and add then to the sauce along with their juices. Work the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to smash them as much as possible. Stir, Add teaspoon of salt and some freshly ground pepper. Bring to a steady simmer and simmer on a very low heat, uncovered, for about forty minutes. Check for salt. Set aside.

We also recommend putting your serving plates in the oven to warm them.

Meanwhile, bring 4-5 quarts of cold water to a raging boil. Add two tablespoons of salt. Drop in the pasta and stir. Cook until al dente. Drain, saving four tablespoons of the water.

Add the pasta and half the Parmesan to the reheated sauce, add the basil and parsley; add the reserved liquid, and toss well. We then cover the pan and cook for about one minute over a high heat: this gets the dish really hot and steaming. Serve immediately on the warmed plates, with some more Parmesan on the side.

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