Italian Mac-n-Cheese

By jacarroll4

Ingredients

• 1 pound penne rigate
• 1 pound Italian bulk sweet sausage
• 2 tbls extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbls butter
• 3 or 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 12 crimini mushrooms, sliced
• Salt
• Pepper
• 2 tbls all-purpose flour
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 (10-ounce)sack, 2 1/2 cups, shredded Italian 4 cheese blend.
• 1 can diced tomatoes, drained well
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce(recommended:Tabasco)
• 1/2 cup parmesan, a couple of handfuls

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt water and cook pasta to chewy al dente, about 8 minutes.

In a nonstick skillet, brown and crumble the sausage. Drain cooked crumbles on paper towel lined plate. Return pan to heat and add extra-virgin olive oil,butter, garlic and mushrooms. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Saute 3 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are lightly golden.

Preheat broiler to high.

To mushrooms, add flour and stir, cooking 2 minutes. Whisk in stock, then stir in cream. Bring cream to a bubble, then stir in 2 cups of 4 cheese blend. When cheese has melted into sauce, add tomatoes. When sauce comes to a bubble, remove from heat and adjust seasonings, adding hot sauce if desired.

Combine Cheese sauce with sausage and pasta , transfer to baking dish, casserole or even oven safe serving platter. Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of 4 cheese blend and the grated Parmesan over the top and brown under hot broiler.