Hot Italian Pork Sausage & Brussels Sprouts

Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way up with salted water; cover and heat to boiling on high. Wash and dry the brussels sprouts; cut off and discard the stem ends. Halve lengthwise, then thinly slice crosswise. Halve, peel, and thinly slice the onion. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Combine the sliced brussels sprouts, sliced onion, and chopped garlic in a bowl.

Add the pasta to the pot of boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, 6 to 8 minutes, or until al dente (still slightly firm to the bite). Turn off the heat. Reserving 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water, drain thoroughly and return to the pot.

Meanwhile, in a large pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the sausage. Cook, stirring frequently and breaking the meat apart with a spoon, 3 to 4 minutes, or until browned. Add the prepared vegetables. Cook, stirring frequently, 4 to 5 minutes, or until softened and the sausage is cooked through. Add the vinegar (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, stirring frequently and scraping up any browned bits (or fond), 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until the liquid has cooked off. Turn off the heat.

To the pot of cooked pasta, add the cooked sausage and vegetables and half the reserved pasta cooking water. Cook on medium-high, stirring constantly, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the pasta is coated (if necessary, gradually add the remaining cooking water to ensure the pasta is thoroughly coated). Turn off the heat. Stir in the mascarpone until combined. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the finished pasta garnished with the parmesan. Enjoy!