Sausage and Cream Sauce Pasta
Try this rich and comforting pasta dish featuring savory Italian sausage, a little kale and parsley for brightness, all bathed in a luscious cream sauce spiked with tomato. This satisfying dinner is perfect for a date night in!
Sausage and Cream Sauce Pasta
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced pole-to-pole
1 pound mild Italian sausage
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced1 cup dry white wine (Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc, or Chardonnay)
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 cup heavy cream
16 oz bowtie pasta plus salt (for boiling water)
4 leaves kale, de-ribbed and finely chopped
1/4 cup parsley, finely chopped, plus one additional tablespoon for garnish
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Additional Parmesan cheese, shaved for garnishing
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Directions:
1. In a large Dutch oven, braiser, or skillet, sauce the onion in the olive oil and butter until softened, but not cooked all the way through. The onion will continue to cook as the sausage browns in the next step.
2. Add the sausage, and crumble it with a Chopstir or a wooden spoon. Cook until the sausage is completely browned.
3. Add the crushed red pepper and sliced garlic. Cook for a few more minutes, until the garlic becomes fragrant.
4. Add the white wine and simmer until the wine has reduced.
5. Add the tomato paste and stir. Continue to cook until the tomato paste darkens a little.
6. Add the heavy cream, stir together, and cover. Simmer the sauce on low allowing the flavors to combine.
7. While the sauce simmers, cook the bowtie pasta in boiling, salted water until al dente.
8. When the pasta is almost done cooking, add the finely chopped kale and 1/4 cup parsley to the sauce. Stir until slightly wilted and distributed within the sauce.
9. When done cooking, drain the pasta reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
10. To the sauce, add the pasta, reserved pasta water, and 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until well-combined, and displaying a silky quality.
11. Serve the pasta immediately with additional shaved Parmesan cheese and more parsley for garnishing.