For a quick weeknight meal, this Rigatoni Pasta with pork sausage and chives is a comforting meal. The sauce is made with shallots, reduced white wine and heavy cream. Garnished with Parmesan cheese and chives, this dish is both filling and delicious.
When it comes to making a quick dinner that is both filling and delicious, pasta is usually my go-to. This pasta recipe was both budget friendly and delicious!
I try to keep ground pork in my freezer, since it’s a versatile ingredient. I use ground pork to make Easy Homemade Won Ton Soup. Ground pork is also a key ingredient for my Italian Meatballs Recipe. We keep chives growing in our herb garden, so this was another way to use them. It was getting late in the day, so I decided to make this pasta dinner.
Begin by cooking Rigatoni Pasta (you can use other types of pasta, if you wish) in salted water. Once cooked, drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the water. Meanwhile, cook pork sausage and set aside. In the same skillet, cook shallots and garlic and then add white wine. Cook until the white wine is reduced, and the alcohol is burned off (a couple of minutes). Add heavy cream.
Add the cooked pork sausage and give it a stir. OPTIONAL: I’m fortunate to shop at Trader Joe’s where I picked up a bottle of this Multipurpose Umami Seasoning Blend. I added about one tablespoon of the blend to the sauce. It worked great! Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, adding any remaining pasta water if the pasta seems a bit dry.
30 minutes later, dinner was ready. Garnish the pasta with chopped chives and additional Parmesan.
TASTING NOTES: The texture of the al dente rigatoni is so hearty and satisfying. The reduced white wine adds a delicious note of acidity. There’s just enough garlic flavor added to the silky, creamy sauce. Leftovers reheated beautifully the next day (since it’s just the two of us). There’s versatility with this recipe. I would think you could add mushrooms to the sauce, and that would also be delicious.
Rigatoni with Sausage and Chives
Equipment
- 1 12" non-stick skillet
Ingredients
- 1 pound Rigatoni pasta short pastas such as orecchiette or penne can be used as well
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage casings removed
- 2 shallots minced
- 1 clove garlic finely minced (optional)
- ½ cup white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¾ cup chicken broth
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese grated, 1/2 cup, plus extra for serving
- ¼ cup finely chopped chives
Instructions
- Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt and cook, stirring often, until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup cooking water, then drain pasta and return it to pot.
- Meanwhile, cook sausage in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, breaking up pieces with spoon, until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer sausage to paper towel–lined plate. Add shallots to fat left in pan and cook over medium-high heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic (if using) and cook for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
- Add wine and simmer until almost evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add cream and broth and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 7 minutes. Stir in sausage and cook to let flavors meld, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Add sauce and chives to pasta and toss to combine. Adjust consistency with reserved cooking water as needed. Serve with extra Parmesan.
Notes
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