Sausage Rigatoni

🥘 Ingredients

• rigatoni 400 g
• Italian sausages 300 g
• shallot 1
• garlic cloves 2
• tomato paste 120 g
• basil
• chilli flakes 1 tsp
• cooking cream 250 ml
• parmesan cheese ¼ cup
• basil leaves

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Cook the rigatoni until just shy of al dente. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta cooking water.
2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausages , casings removed, breaking it up into small pieces. Cook for 7 minutes , stirring occasionally, until golden and caramelised. Transfer to a plate.
3. 3

   Return the pan to the heat with more oil. Add the shallot and garlic cloves , finely chopped, and cook for 4 minutes , stirring and scraping up any browned bits from the base of the pan.
4. 4

   Stir in the tomato paste , one basil sprig and chilli flakes , cooking for 3 minutes , until the paste deepens in colour. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
5. 5

   Return the sausage to the pan, then pour in the cooking cream and 0.5 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir to combine and allow to simmer gently for 4 minutes .
6. 6

   Add the pasta directly to the sauce. Increase the heat to medium-high and toss well, adding more pasta water as needed until the sauce is glossy and coats the pasta.
7. 7

   Stir through parmesan cheese and season again as needed. Divide between bowls and finish with more parmesan, a drizzle of chilli oil, and basil leaves .