Rigatoni with Chicken Sausage

Rigatoni with chicken sausage. This easy-to-prepare beauty is perhaps the most utilized pasta sauce in Southern Italy. It can be made quickly while the pasta water is coming to a boil and the pasta becomes al dente.

Ingredients

For 4 Person(s)

For the Pasta:

1 pound Italian Chicken Sausage
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
3 cloves fresh garlic, finely chopped or pressed
1/2 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes (optional)
28 plum tomatoes, with juice, squeezed by hand or broken up in skillet with a wooden spoon
3/4 pound Rigatoni pasta or cut pasta of choice
10 fresh basil leaves, torn
salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
6 tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

In a large 12" skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil and cook the Chicken Sausages over medium heat until light brown. No need to cook all the way through. Just cook until browned on both sides. Keep on breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon and cooking until all pinkness is gone, do not brown.
Remove meat from skillet and set aside. Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil to the skillet, add the onion, garlic and red pepper fakes and cook on medium until the onion is soft, 8-10 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, 1/2 tsp. salt and a few grinds of black pepper to taste. Add the Chichen Sausage and bring sauce to a boil then reduce heat to a medium low, just bubbling simmer. Cook sauce uncovered for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.
While the sauce is cooking, bring 5 qts. of water to a boil. Add 2 Tbsp. salt to boiling water, add the Rigatoni and cook until al dente – about 12-14 minutes, or according to the package instructions.
Taste the sauce for salt and pepper, and adjust if needed. Drain the pasta completely and place in the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce to ensure each piece is coated. Add the torn basil, a drizzle of good olive oil and mix well. Serve immediately with freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese.