Hi Reader!

​​There are very few things in the kitchen that a little patience won't improve, and caramelised onions are certainly one of them.

I know the idea of standing over a pan of onions for almost an hour might not sound particularly appealing, especially when you're trying to get dinner on the table. But I promise you, the reward is worth every minute.

This Caramelised Onion & Italian Sausage Orecchiette is one of those pasta dishes that tastes like you've put far more effort into it than you actually have.

It begins with three humble brown onions, slowly cooked in olive oil until they become beautifully golden, sweet and jammy. They're then combined with Italian pork sausage, garlic, a splash of white wine, cream and parmesan to create the most luscious sauce.

And let's talk about the pasta shape for a moment! Orecchiette translates to little ears in Italian, and their lovely little curved shape is perfect for catching all those delicious pieces of sausage and creamy sauce.

A little tip from my kitchen: Make a special trip to your butcher for some good quality Italian pork sausages, preferably ones with fennel and garlic. The sausages do a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to flavour, so this is one ingredient I wouldn't compromise on.

I like to think of this as a Friday night pasta. The kind you make when you're in no particular rush, with a glass of something lovely nearby and a little music playing in the kitchen.

Finish with a generous grating of parmesan, some freshly cracked black pepper and, of course, a drizzle of good olive oil.

xoxo Daen