3 cups canned tomatoes thick canned crushed one 28-ounce can
1 pound cavatelli pasta frozen
0.3 cup basil fresh chopped
0.3 cup parsley fresh chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
0.8 pound sausage italian hot
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion chopped
3 tablespoons pecorino cheese grated plus more for serving
1.3 teaspoons salt
0.3 cup water
Equipment
frying pan
pot
dutch oven
Directions
In a large deep frying pan or Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over moderate heat.
Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a fork, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
Reduce the heat to moderately low and add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to the pan. Stir in the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, mint, parsley, water, salt, and 1 pinch of the saffron. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the cavatelli with the remaining pinch saffron until just done, 10 to 15 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.
Drain the cavatelli and toss with the meat sauce, the basil, the reserved pasta water, and the cheese.
Serve with additional Pecorino Romano.
Sausage Substitutes: If you can't find hot Italian sausage, use ground pork or mild sausage and a quarter teaspoon of dried red-pepper flakes.
Wine Recommendation: Red wines from Sardinia are almost impossible to find in the U.S., but a sturdy Cir, made across the water in Calabria from the gaglioppo grapes, will be a fine substitute.
