20-Minute Spicy Sausage & Mushroom Pasta

Boil pasta for approximately 8–10 minutes in heavily salted water until al dente. Drain pasta and reserve ¼ cup of the starchy water that pasta was cooked in.

While pasta boils, heat a large skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add sausage and use a wooden spoon to crumble up meat while it’s browning. Cook until sausage is no longer pink, about 1–2 minutes. Add shallots, garlic, pepper flakes, fennel, oregano, and mushrooms. Sauté for another 1–2 minutes.

Add tomatoes (with juices) and bring to a boil. Add sugar and thyme, and lower heat to medium-low. Use wooden spoon to crush and break apart any large pieces of tomatoes. Allow to simmer for 8–10 minutes. Remove thyme sprigs.

Toss in cooked/drained linguine, coating pasta well. If you want a looser sauce, add 1 tablespoon at a time of the starchy pasta water until sauce reaches desired consistency. Season with additional kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Plate pasta and cover each dish with freshly grated Parmesan.