Ingredients:
- pound Rigatoni Pasta
- pound Italian Sausage (Hot or Mild), casings removed
- Tbsp Good Quality Olive Oil
- medium Yellow Onion, finely diced
- cloves Garlic, minced
- /2 cup Dry White Wine (e.g., Pinot Grigio)
- (28-oz) can Crushed Tomatoes (San Marzano style)
- cup Chicken or Vegetable Broth
- tsp Dried Oregano
- /2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
- cup Heavy Whipping Cream (35% fat)
- /4 cup Parmesan Cheese, freshly grated, plus more for serving
- /4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a rolling boil. Cook rigatoni until just shy of al dente (about 2 minutes less than package directions). Reserve 1.5 cups of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crumbled sausage, breaking it up finely. Cook until deeply browned and slightly crisp; drain off all but 1 tablespoon of rendered fat.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add diced onion to the sausage pan and cook until softened and translucent (about 5 minutes). Add minced garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes; cook until fragrant (about 1 minute).
- Pour in the white wine. Scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let the wine reduce by half.
- Stir in the crushed tomatoes and broth. Bring to a gentle simmer. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Let this simmer gently for 10 minutes.
- Reduce heat to low. Stir in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Allow to warm through gently (do not boil vigorously once cream is added).
- Remove the pan from the heat entirely. Slowly stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until the sauce is smooth and glossy.
- Add the drained, undercooked rigatoni directly into the sauce. Toss vigorously. Add reserved pasta water, a splash at a time, until the sauce beautifully clings to the pasta.
- Taste and adjust seasoning. Stir in most of the fresh parsley. Serve immediately in warm bowls, topped with extra Parmesan and the remaining parsley.