Orecchiette with Tomato Sauce, Lamb Sausage and Mint

Oh my. I think this could be in my top 5 pasta favorites. It's from the same book I've been raving about in other posts. When we made this, we used a wonderful lamb sausage from The Local Butcher and it was finger licking good. It's the mint that adds that perfect finishing touch though.

Orecchiette con Salsiccia d'agnello, Salsa di Pomodoro e Menta
Orecchiette with tomato sauce, lamb sausage & Mint
Serves 4

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
10 oz lamb sausage
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
28 oz canned whole San Marzano-style tomatoes, pureed with a hand blender or in a food processor
20 parsley springs, picked and chopped (about 6 tablespoons)
12 mint sprigs, picked and chopped (about 4 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1 pound orecchiette
2 oz Pecorino Romano, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil.

Put the olive oil in a 14-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add the sausage in small flecks, add the garlic and sauté, stirring frequently, until the sausage starts to brown. When the garlic is golden, remove and discard it. Add the red onions and a pinch of salt and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the tomatoes and simmer the sauce until it has reduced by half.

Add the parsley, mint, and hot pepper. Cook for another minute and turn off the heat. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Drop the orecchiette into boiling salted water and cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is almost al dente. Drain the orecchiette 3 minutes before the indicated cooking time, reserving 1 cup cooking water. The pasta will cook for the last few minutes in the sauce and absorb its flavors.

Transfer the pasta to the tomato sauce and turn the heat to medium-high. Simmer the pasta in the sauce for about 2 minutes, adding cooking water as necessary and stirring frequently to avoid sticking. Serve immediately with freshly grated pecorino.