Every once in a while, the universe conspires to get the right ingredients together to make an absolutely fabulous thing. This is one of those things! I wanted a hearty pasta sauce while also trying to finish up tons of carrots and celery that somehow that taken up residence in my fridge! So I started making my usual pasta sauce which I have posted about previously. Then I decided to add some Italian sausage, some mascarpone and before I knew it, I had a hit on my hands! Please make this Italian sausage and mascarpone pasta sauce at the earliest opportunity. It’s truly awesome!

Ingredients

• 2 cups of homemade pasta sauce or a low sodium marinara sauce (Trader Joe’s no salt added Marinara sauce would work here)
• 1 pound of low sodium Italian sausage
• 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar (this is the secret ingredient!)
• 4 tablespoons Mascarpone
• Generous handful of fresh basil

For the Low Sodium Italian sausage (Inspired by Lara Ferroni’s recipe in Low Sodium, Big Flavor):

• 1 lb ground pork
• 2 cloves crushed garlic
• Italian spices: fennel seeds, freshly ground black pepper, paprika, red chili flakes (amounts to your taste)

Mix all ingredients together and let it sit in the fridge covered in a airtight container overnight.

Method

• Brown the sausage in a sauce pan with some olive oil over medium heat.
• Add in the homemade pasta sauce and half the basil. This is where you can sneak in tons of veggies! Add the balsamic vinegar and let simmer, covered, for about 10 minutes. The balsamic vinegar is a total game changer!
• Take the pan off the heat and add the mascarpone. Stir till combined into a creamy sauce. The Italian sausage and mascarpone pasta sauce is ready!
• Serve over fresh pasta, topped with some torn basil. No salt added to the sauce or while cooking the pasta so just salt the plate, if you need it. Yum!