Easy Creamy Sausage Pasta (Pasta alla Norcina)

Ingredients

• 1 lb penne pasta (or other short pasta that holds sauce well)
• 0.5 onion (finely diced)
• 1 lb Italian sausage (casings removed)
• 0.5 cup dry white wine (for deglazing)
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 0.5 cup Pecorino Romano cheese (freshly grated)
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 0.25 cup pasta water (reserved from boiling the pasta)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

2. 2

   In a large pan, add the diced onion and cook over medium heat until it is fragrant and golden.

3. 3

   Add the sausage to the pan, breaking it up with a spoon, and cook until it is nicely browned.

4. 4

   Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom.

5. 5

   Add the penne pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente.

6. 6

   Add the heavy cream to the sausage mixture and heat until it is warm all the way through.

7. 7

   Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.

8. 8

   Drain the pasta, reserving a splash of the starchy pasta water.

9. 9

   Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the sauce and give it a good mix.

10. 10

    Add a bit of the reserved pasta water to the pan to help make the sauce extra silky.

11. 11

    Stir in the Pecorino Romano cheese and serve immediately.

Notes

Penne is recommended as it holds the creamy sauce perfectly. The starch from the pasta water is the secret to a silky texture.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• dinner
• quick-meal
• sausage
• creamy