Creamy Sausage and Tomato Pasta
This is a simple one-pot pasta that comes together in ~20 minutes. I use hot Italian sausage and mascarpone which makes the sauce rich without being too heavy.
Ingredients
Ingredients (~6 servings)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp salted butter, divided
- 2 shallots, minced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 1/2 lbs hot Italian sausage, removed from casings
- 12 oz tomato paste
- 2 cups reserved pasta water
- 3/4 cup mascarpone, room temperature
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 18 oz pasta, penne or rigatoni work well
- Kosher salt
- Fresh basil leaves for serving
Instructions
- Bring salted water to boil and cook pasta until al dente, reserving 2 cups pasta water.
- Melt butter and olive oil in skillet, sauté shallots, garlic, and red pepper flakes for 2-3 minutes.
- Add sausage and brown thoroughly for 6-8 minutes, breaking into pieces.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook 3-4 minutes until caramelized.
- Pour in reserved pasta water, scrape skillet, and simmer 3-4 minutes.
- Mix in mascarpone, butter, and cream until smooth.
- Add cooked pasta and toss with tongs.
- Stir in parmesan cheese and cook 2-3 minutes until melted.
- Season with salt and serve topped with extra parmesan and fresh basil.
Notes
Use penne or rigatoni pasta. Adjust sauce consistency with reserved pasta water.