Dr. Seuss Pasta - Italian sausage

Method

• In a large saute pan, cook the sausage over medium heat, breaking it up into small pieces with a spoon. Cook through, until browned and the juices run clear, about 12 minutes. Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
• Return the pan with the rendered fat to medium heat. Add the TBS of olive oil if necessary. Add the ramps. Sprinkle with the salt and a few good grinds of black pepper. Saute, stirring frequently, until the greens are all wilted and the whites are just beginning to turn translucent, about 3-4 minutes.
• Add the sausage back to the pan and toss to combine with the ramps. Turn off the heat and stir in the basil leaves. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, cook the pasta in boiling salted water, according to package directions. When the pasta is done cooking, remove with a slotted spoon or spider and add it directly to the saute pan with the sausage and ramps. Scoop out about a half cup of the pasta cooking liquid and add that to the saute pan as well.
• Sprinkle the cheese over the pasta/sausage/ramp mixture and toss everything to combine. The cheese and pasta cooking liquid should form a "sauce." Keep warm over the lowest possible heat.
• Time to poach the eggs. For this recipe, I don't use a large pasta pot, but rather use a smaller soup pot or my le creuset. Once I've removed the pasta from the boiling water, I turn off the heat and add a teaspoon of vinegar. Then I swirl it a bit to form a "whirlpool" and gently slide in the eggs, which I've cracked into individual small ramekins. Once the eggs are in, cover the pot and let the eggs sit for 4 minutes.
• While the eggs are cooking, plate the pasta. When the eggs are done, remove from water gently with a slotted spoon and top each plate with one egg. Add a grind of black pepper and slice the egg open so the yolk oozes out and creates a "sauce" for the pasta.