The Ultimate Creamy Sausage Pasta

Ingredients

• 200 g mafaldine pasta (or your favourite shape)
• 4 pork sausages (skins removed)
• 4 garlic cloves (minced)
• 200 ml chicken stock
• 100 g mascarpone
• 60 g grated Parmesan (plus extra to serve)
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 10 g parsley (chopped)
• olive oil (for frying)
• salt (for pasta water)
• black pepper (to taste)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve a mug of the pasta water before draining.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.

3. 3

   Add the sausage meat, breaking it into small chunks with a wooden spoon. Leave it to brown well between stirring so you get plenty of crispy caramelised bits. Cook until golden.

4. 4

   Stir in the garlic and the dried thyme and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.

5. 5

   Pour in the chicken stock, scraping up all the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer for 2 minutes.

6. 6

   Stir through the mascarpone, Parmesan, and Dijon mustard. Simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth and silky.

7. 7

   Add the chopped parsley and stir well.

8. 8

   Add the cooked pasta and toss everything together until coated in the sauce. If needed, loosen with a splash of the reserved pasta water until glossy.

9. 9

   Finish with plenty of black pepper, and an extra grating of Parmesan before serving.

Notes

Mafaldine pasta is recommended for its ability to hold the creamy sauce, but any long or short pasta shape will work. Ensure you brown the sausage well as this provides the depth of flavor for the sauce.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• pasta
• dinner
• creamy
• sausage
• comfort food
• quick meal