Rigatoni With Italian Sausage & Rapini Red Sauce

By ltrodrigu

Ingredients

• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 pound hot or sweet Italian sausage, skins removed and meat broken into bite-size pieces
• 4 cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
• 1 pound rapini, cleaned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed San Marzano tomatoes
• Sugar, to season
• 1 pound rigatoni
• Pecorino Romano, Parmesan or fresh ricotta, to garnish
• Snipped chives, to garnish (optional)

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from wsj.com

Preparation

Step 1

Set a large pot filled with salted water over high heat. Bring water to a rolling boil.

Meanwhile, set a medium pot over medium-high heat and slick with olive oil. Once hot, add sausage and cook, stirring, until browned on all sides, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in rapini, tomatoes and ¼ cup water. Bring to a simmer and cook until rapini tenderizes, about 20 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and sugar to taste.

About 10 minutes before sauce is ready, cook pasta in boiling water until al dente. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup pasta water, and add noodles to sauce. Cook until pasta drinks up sauce, about 1 minute more. Add splashes of water to stretch the sauce if necessary. Garnish with cheese and chives, if using.