Chicken Sausage Rigatoni in a Creamy Pink Sauce with Roma Tomato and Parmesan

with Chef Robert Larios
Photography by Patricia M. Larios

Rigatoni is one of my all-time favorite pastas. It’s perfect for a special occasion or any night of the week.
In this recipe, rigatoni is joined together by a creamy pink sauce, Parmesan, scallions and an intensely flavorful chicken sausage. When you are looking for highly delicious carbs, look no further than here.
Special thanks to Hello Fresh for making this recipe available.

¡Buen provecho!



Chicken Sausage Rigatoni in a Creamy Pink Sauce with Roma Tomato and Parmesan



Utensils You Will Need:

  • Medium pot
  • Large pan
  • Strainer


Yields2 Servings

 2 cloves garlic (minced)
 1 Roma tomato (diced)
 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
 1 tsp chili flakes
 6 oz rigatoni pasta
 ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
 9 oz Italian chicken sausage mix
 4 oz heavy cream
 2 units scallions
 1.50 oz tomato paste
 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO
 1 tbsp butter
 1 tsp sugar
 Salt (kosher or sea salt) and pepper to taste

1

Step 1
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Dice Roma tomato. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

2

Step 2
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and scallion whites to pan; cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Add tomato and cook until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3

Step 3
Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook until al dente, 10-12 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

4

Step 4
While pasta cooks, stir Italian seasoning, tomato paste and 1 teaspoon sugar into pan with sausage mixture until coated. Pour in ¼ cup plain water (1⁄3 cup for 4). Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low.

5

Step 5
Add heavy cream to pan with sauce and stir. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

6

Step 6
Add drained rigatoni to pan with sauce; toss to coat. If needed, stir in reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. Divide pasta between bowls and top with Parmesan. Sprinkle with a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Garnish with scallion greens and serve.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

 2 cloves garlic (minced)
 1 Roma tomato (diced)
 1 tbsp Italian seasoning
 1 tsp chili flakes
 6 oz rigatoni pasta
 ¼ cup Parmesan cheese
 9 oz Italian chicken sausage mix
 4 oz heavy cream
 2 units scallions
 1.50 oz tomato paste
 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil (EVOO
 1 tbsp butter
 1 tsp sugar
 Salt (kosher or sea salt) and pepper to taste

Directions

1

Step 1
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Dice Roma tomato. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

2

Step 2
Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and scallion whites to pan; cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. Add tomato and cook until slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

3

Step 3
Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook until al dente, 10-12 minutes. Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

4

Step 4
While pasta cooks, stir Italian seasoning, tomato paste and 1 teaspoon sugar into pan with sausage mixture until coated. Pour in ¼ cup plain water (1⁄3 cup for 4). Bring to a simmer and cook for 1 minute, then reduce heat to low.

5

Step 5
Add heavy cream to pan with sauce and stir. Stir in 1 tablespoon butter until melted. Season with salt and pepper.

6

Step 6
Add drained rigatoni to pan with sauce; toss to coat. If needed, stir in reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce. Divide pasta between bowls and top with Parmesan. Sprinkle with a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Garnish with scallion greens and serve.

Enjoy!

Chicken Sausage Rigatoni in a Creamy Pink Sauce with Roma Tomato and Parmesan

Food Lover’s Dictionary

Tomato paste: Available in cans and tubes, consists of tomatoes that have been cooked for several hours, strained and reduced to a deep red, richly flavored concentrate. The tomato is a member of the nightshade family. It’s the fruit of a vine native to South America.

Bibliography: Copyright Barron’s Educational Services, Inc. 2009, adapted from The New Food Lover’s Companion, 2007,
by Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst.

Recipe: https://www.hellofresh.com/recipes/chicken-sausage-rigatoni-60e5b84b1905903a2f3d27de?q=Chicken+Sausage+Rigatoni Accessed August 10, 2021.



Cooking Tidbit: The original recipe called for red pepper instead of Roma tomato. I changed it because red pepper is not as desirable in my household.



Food Quote: “A recipe has no soul. You, as the cook, must bring soul to the recipe.”

– Thomas Keller

 

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