Growing up my mom often threw together a big pan of Creamy Pasta for a weeknight meal. I imagine because there are few ingredients, and it's super quick to pull together. And a big plus - it's unctuous and delicious!
Now, truth be told, we used to make this dish with straight up heavy cream. Loved it as a kid for sure. But being that I'd like to make it to a ripe old age, I've modified the recipe a bit so I can enjoy a bowl without so much guilt. Make no mistake about it, this isn't a diet dish. But it's certainly a lighter rendition of a velvety cream sauce!
Something about the mix of fennel-spiced Italian sausage, sweet bell peppers, and a bit of heat from some chili flakes is just a heavenly combination. For this recipe in particular, I'd recommend a short noodle like a rigatoni or penne. Farfalle is fun too! Basically you're looking for something similar in size to the sausage crumbles and peppers, so you can gather all the ingredients onto your fork for one perfect bite.
Creamy Pasta
Ingredients
· 2 tbsp olive oil
· 1lb bulk Italian sausage
· 1 onion, diced
· 1 red pepper, chopped
· 1 orange pepper, chopped
· 6 garlic cloves, minced
· ¼ tsp salt
· ¼ tsp pepper
· Crushed red pepper, to taste
· ½ cup dry white wine
· ½ cup chicken stock
· 1 cup half and half
· 12oz rigatoni, penne or farfalle pasta
· ½ cup pecorino romano cheese
· Torn basil, if desired
Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Over medium high heat, crumble and brown the sausage. Reduce heat to medium low and sautee the onions. Once translucent, add the peppers and garlic. Season with salt, pepper, and crush red pepper if desired. Add the wine. Once the wine has evaporated, add the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer.
Cook the pasta in an abundance of salted water per package instructions until al dente.
While the pasta cooks, add the half & half and pecorino cheese. Stir to combine and bring the sauce to a hard simmer. Allow the sauce to thicken.
Once the pasta is cooked, toss the noodles with the cream sauce. If desired, garnish with torn basil and more pecorino cheese.
Serves 4
Gluten Free Friendly! We enjoy Banza GF farfalle. Barilla GF penne would also would well!
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