There is something about pasta with meat and peas that screams comfort to me. Lately, I have been making this cozy sausage pasta dish at least once a week. My husband and I love it, and it comes together in under 30 minutes! I grate fresh parmesan into the pasta, a little bit at a time so that it doesn’t clump. If you don’t enjoy spice, feel free to substitute hot for sweet Italian sausage instead! 

Ingredients:

8 oz uncooked rigatoni pasta

11 oz hot Italian sausage (casings removed)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 small white onion chopped

½ cup frozen green peas

2 tbsp butter

1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes (with juices)

½ cup heavy whipping cream

Salt & pepper, to taste

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and more for serving

Add your butter, onion, and garlic into a pan and sauté on medium heat for 3-5 minutes. 

Next, add in your hot Italian sausage in with your garlic and onions, and break apart into pieces using a wooden spoon. Brown your sausage by cooking 5-6 minutes. Pour in your can of diced tomatoes, cream, and peas and scrape up all of the browned bits (that’s where all the flavor is.) If you like spice, you can add in Rotel instead of your typical diced tomatoes, which features green chilis in with the tomatoes!

 While the sauce thickens, cook your rigatoni in heavily salted water. You want it to taste like the ocean. Cook until al dente and reserve about ¼ cup pasta water. Add in the rigatoni to the sausage mixture and stir while adding in your grated cheese a little at a time. Throw in a few splashes of pasta water  which will help to emulsify the sauce. Taste and season with salt and pepper, and top with more cheese... of course.