Sweet & Savory Sausage Sauce

This has been a favorite recipe for a few years. I had forgotten about it and I think it has been since before I was pregnant that I made it last--over two years ago.

It comes from one of our favorite cookbooks, The Figs Table, by Todd English and Sally Sampson. The sauce is cram-packed full of flavor that is so delicious! And, my favorite part, it tastes just as good as leftovers. Brian agrees--and he generally hates leftovers.

I have been unsuccessful in finding garlic sausage so I use sweet Italian sausage and add a couple more cloves of garlic. I think this sauce is fantastic over shells or rotini--you need a pasta that will capture the chunks.

Here's the recipe from the book:

1lb garlic sausage, taken out of casing and crumbled
3-4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 Spanish onion, chopped
1 cup white wine
3 cups chicken broth
2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped
two 28 oz cans whole plum tomatoes, drained and hand crushed

Place a large skillet or stockpot over medium -high heat and, when it is hot, add the sausage. When the fat begins to render, add the garlic and 1 teaspoon each rosemary and thyme and cook until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Discard any excess fat. Add the onion, lower the heat to low, and cook until it it almost caramelized, about 15-20 min.

Add the wine to deglaze the pan. Add the broth, and cook until reduced to a thick syrup, about 5-8 minutes. (I find this takes quite a bit longer, like 15-20 minutes. Maybe my heat isn't high enough?) Add the anchovies and tomatoes and the remaining 1 teaspoon each of rosemary and thyme, and cook until the flavors meld together, about 20-30 minutes.

Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 days.