Creamy Sausage and Pasta

Creamy Sausage and Pasta ~ the sauce makes the dish!

The sauce truly pulls this Creamy Pasta and Sausage dish altogether and it tastes better than it looks. I adore the combination of ingredients that combine to make a superb tasting sauce. If you are looking for a new pasta dish that the whole family will love, this is it!
I am beyond thrilled with the flavor if you can't already tell. Despite a somewhat long list of ingredients, this isn't difficult to make. It is a spin on the classic sausage, peppers and onions made even better with a creamy delicious sauce.

• 6 sweet Italian sausage links
• 1 box tri-colored pasta (or ziti, penne)
• 2 cups reserved pasta water
• 1 - 1 1/2 cups half and half
• 2 cups whole tomatoes with juice
• 1/3 cup ricotta cheese
• 3/4 cup onion - small dice
• 3 large garlic cloves - minced
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 large roasted red bell pepper - medium dice ( I used from a jar and drained it.)
• 1 tsp. dried parsley flakes
• 1/4 tsp. dried basil
• 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp. paprika
• salt and black pepper to taste

1. Begin by browning your sausages in a deep skillet over medium heat with the olive oil. Turn them as you go and cook about two thirds of the way or a little beyond that. Set the sausages aside.
2. Cook your pasta according to box directions and RESERVE 2 cups of the pasta water. Don't forget to salt your pasta when you cook it. Drain and set aside. Do not rinse the pasta. You can break it down later if it clumps and the heat of the sauce by stirring will help that along.
3. In the same pan as you browned the sausage and with all the remaining fat, set the heat to medium low. Saute the onion and garlic until the onion softens but be careful not to burn the garlic.
4. Next, add in the reserved pasta water, kick the heat up to medium and stir and scrap all the good bits from browning the sausage.
5. Add in the tomato paste and whisk until incorporated. Then add in the ricotta cheese and whisk that in until it's blended.
6. Add in your spices, the tomatoes and the diced roasted pepper. Break the tomatoes down with a wooden spoon.
7. Then add the sausage back to the pan along with the half and half. Stir and cook on low heat for about 20 minutes to let the sausage cook through.
8. At the end toss in your cooked pasta.

Serves: 6
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30
Cost: approximately $7.15, feeding 6 for $1.19 each

I only cooked a half box of pasta for just the two of us. For a family of four or more, use the whole box. As always keep your cost down by getting ingredients on sale. We got sausage on sale a couple of weeks ago and froze what we did not use that night and pulled out a package for this dish. Also I got the pasta and tomatoes on sale a while ago too.

And if you think it's too much fat from the sausage, pour some out when you go to saute the onion and garlic. Me, I think fat equals flavor so I used it what was in the pan.

Creamy Sausage and Pasta is a delicious, filling and hearty dinner that is packed with tons of flavor for not a lot of money can be on your dinner table in about 40 minutes!