When the weather’s cold, this is one of my favorite dishes to make. It’s a little spicy, it’s amazingly hearty, and I always eat way too much.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
Creamy Tomato Bowtie Pasta
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 (14.5 ounce) cans diced tomatoes with Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
- 1 package bowtie pasta
- ½ cup reserved pasta liquid
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Directions:
Heat oil over medium heat in a heavy large pot. Add shallots and garlic.
Saute until beginning to soften (about three minutes). Add sausage and sauté until no longer pink, breaking up with a fork. Add cream and simmer five minutes.
Add tomatoes with juice, sage and red pepper. Simmer until sauce thickens (about 15 minutes) stirring occasionally.
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and reserve one-half cup liquid. Return pasta to same pot and add sauce.
Toss over medium heat until sauce coats pasta; add reserved liquid in ¼ cupfuls if mixture is dry. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately (preferably with garlic bread).
Source: We Gather Together (First United Presbyterian Church, Fayetteville)
Notes from Shannon: I typically use half ‘n half instead of whipping cream and I rarely need to use the reserved liquid, so don’t let that extra step scare you off. I crave this recipe at least once a month and use a little less of the crushed red pepper if my daughter will be partaking. Make sure you use sweet Italian sausage; it tastes better. Oh, and if you’ve never removed casings, just make a small cut with your knife and it’s like taking the sausage out of a wrapper. Or you can just use ground Italian sausage. Enjoy!
