Rigatoni with sausage, spring vegetables and mustard

Adam Fetcher
Aug 9, 2017 · 2 min read

I don’t often cook pasta at home , but once in a while I finish the work day with a strong craving for rigatoni’s thick, chewy cylinders. I love pasta with sausage, and rigatoni is hearty enough to stand up to the bold flavors of hot Italian sausage. Make a quick sauce with mustard and olive oil and add whatever spring-like veggies you have in your fridge and a few leaves of basil or watercress. You’ll make everyone happy — guaranteed.


Ingredients (2 servings):

  • Rigatoni (4 cups)
  • Hot Italian sausage (2 sausages, casings removed)
  • EVOO (2 tablespoons)
  • Salt (pinch or two)
  • Dry white wine (1/3 cup)
  • Half & half (1/3 cup)
  • Mustard (brown & seedy is best, but dijon will do)
  • Asparagus or another spring vegetable, like snow peas or even a soft cabbage (cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces)
  • Shallots (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
  • Fresh basil leaves or water cress
  • Fresh-grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

  • Start your water boiling — well salted. Add rigatoni to the pot when boiling and cook for about 12 minutes, until al dente.
  • Meanwhile, heat EVOO over a medium-high flame, adding sausage removed from casings when hot. Break the sausage up into small pieces and brown (5 minutes).
  • Add wine to the sausage and deglaze the pan, reducing liquid a bit (3–5 minutes).
  • Add asparagus and shallots to the pan and stir until just soft (2 minutes).
  • Add half/half and mustard, stir everything together and bring back to a low boil (2 minutes).
  • Taste sauce and salt as needed.
  • Toss rigatoni with sausage and sauce to cover completely.
  • Plate the dish, adding fresh basil or watercress on top — and fresh-grated parmesan on top of that.
  • Eat immediately!
Fresh basil: don’t cook it, just add at the end
Reduce the wine, oil, pork fat and half/half a bit, but keep everything crunchy
Adam Fetcher

Written by

Work at home; cook at home

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