I had dinner planned to a tee. I made fried chicken, sweet potato mash and broccoli for my daughter and me, her two play-date buddies and their mother. I didn’t account for the extra guests that turned up, unannounced.

There wasn’t enough for all of us.

I hit the pantry and the fridge. A box of farfalle (shell) pasta, some sweet Italian sausages, and I reckoned I could muster up extra dinner before the chicken got cold.

I ended up eating the pasta. So did the guests. So did the kids.

Anyone for some left over fried chicken?

Ready

• Farfalle pasta (or pasta of your choice)
• A couple of shallots, finely chopped
• A crushed garlic clove or two
• A handful of Italian sausages (sweet or spicy, I guess)
• A handful of frozen peas
• A little white wine (if you have some lying around)
• Fresh sage, finely sliced or chopped
• Some cream
• Grated Parmesan

Set

• Large pasta pot
• Skillet

Go

1. Prep all your vegetables and de-skin the sausages (run a sharp knife down one side, pull back the skin and scrape out the meat into a bowl).
2. Throw the pasta into the water (should cook in about 11 minutes).
3. Meanwhile, sweat the shallots in a little olive oil.
4. When they are nice and soft throw in the garlic and stir around for a minute or so.
5. Add the sausage and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring as you go.
6. De-glaze the pan with a little white wine.
7. Throw in a handful of peas. Stir.
8. Add a cup or so of cream and a handful of Parmesan.
9. Season and throw in some sage.
10. Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce. Be sure to hold on to a little of the cooking water which you can add to the mix.
11. Serve with a little more sage sprinkled over, some cracked black pepper and more cheese.

What you should know

When I drain the pasta, I balance a colander on a bowl in the sink. That way I can be sure to collect a little of the cooking water which I return to the dish to loosen the sauce. Maybe it’s something to do with the starch in the water, but it makes a big difference!

Also, I typically return the pasta to its pot and add a glug of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt before adding it to the sauce.