Rigatoni with sausage, spring vegetables and mustard
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!


