I need some comfort, and i need it NOW

Today was one of those days when you wish the alarm had left you a 24 hour snooze period. It wasn't so drastically bad that immediate support from the friend network was required, just crappy enough to leave you dis-spirited about matters such as career choice, fair weather friends-all ship shape and shiny in their place but winter, through no fault of their own but their capriciousness and your willingness to go along with it, doesn't show them to their best advantage-accidental flooding of bathroom( that is so a story for another time), 8-count 'em !- loads of laundry due to mopping flood up with whatever is at hand ( all towels, clothes and the occasional soft toy) and then the subsequent realisation that actions have consequences- horrible dull mind crushing consequences. Wonderful children had circus training, and were easily satisfied with home made pizza from cunningly stashed bases made in despair baking frenzy a week ago. Me, however, I needed more. And yet I wanted to contribute so much less in the preparation of said need. As ever, Nigel Slater to the rescue. He has a recipe for a spicy sausage pasta with cream and basil, which I have adapted for my own needs on many an occasion.  First boil up the water for your pasta, if you are desperate this will take longer than you think, believe me. You then ideally take some Italian style sausages- if you have them- remove them from their skins, crumble them  up into a mis-mash of shapes and fry until lightly caramelised. I daresay if you are vegetarian you could do this with a vege sausage alternative, but I would probably go for some good flavoured robust mushrooms myself- as ever you choose, it's your dinner. I had only normal sausages, so i crumbled them with a teaspoon of fennel seeds, and some chilli flakes, I have to admit here, I am a bit wimpy. So I had maybe half a teaspoon of chilli flakes for four sausages, if you like more heat please add more, I will only have respect for your toughness and superiority with the hard stuff compared to myself. Once caramelised put pasta in heavily salted ( see previous posts) water- I recommend penne, shells, or  the one that looks like a thick demented saucer, whose literal translation is 'little ears'. Anyway , having had no thoughts of prior preparation all I had was penne, so penne it was., Now turn your attention to your sizzling pan, and add about a glass of white wine, and then listen to that hubble, bubble, toil and trouble hiss and splutter as the smell of wine fills the air ( Note to self, contact Chanel or similar in morning, have great idea for perfume). Now wait until the wine looks like syrup, it should be just on the verge of disappearing completely, then add cream, I would love to give an amount, but a generous glug-say 200, 250mls should do the job, add more or less depending on whether you have read any Dean Ornish compared to Naomi Wolf or Nigella Lawson- and a tablespoon of whole grain mustard. Let this reduce-which essentially means boil away and thicken- in pan whilst you chop some fresh basil, I know everyone says tear it , blah blah, but we are not chefs so take a knife and hack away. Ok, pasta should be ready, drain it, add it to cream and sausage pan and add the basil, reduce the heat to low and toss together ( Ok  this doesn't ring true even to me, I stirred in a messy fashion, some coated pasta fell out and i had to add 'clean stove top' to my to-do list-happy??). Turn off heat, and serve. You will think the first time you make this, " will I need Parmesan?". You won't, I promise. You can if you wish, but really, you won't. This, plus the rest of wine, the quiet house resounding to my favourite ( so far) episode of Trueblood ( for the record Season 3 Episode 8) and, well technically the day hasn't got better, but damn I feel better, and some days, self- absorbed selfish bint that I am that is all that counts. Hope your day and dinner were great. To all of us imperfect people!