Let the mushrooms brown
Mushrooms need heat, room and a little neglect.
Spread them across the pan and leave them alone long enough to develop color. Constant stirring releases their moisture and turns the pan into a steamer. Browning begins only after that moisture has evaporated.
If the pan looks crowded, cook the mushrooms in two batches. It takes a few minutes longer, but the reward is a deeper, more concentrated flavor and mushrooms that remain distinct in the finished dish.
Save more pasta water than you think you’ll need
Many recipes mention reserved pasta water almost as an afterthought. Here, it’s an essential part of the sauce.
The starch in the water pulls together the sausage fat, butter, stock and cheese. What begins as a collection of separate ingredients becomes a glossy emulsion that clings to every hollow and curve of the orecchiette.
Reserve at least 1½ cups before draining the pasta. You may not use all of it, but it’s much easier to discard what remains than to discover that the sauce has tightened and the pasta water is already gone.