Recipe: Rigatoni with sausage and tomato cream sauce

Now well into my 30s I'm a little more patient, and I have the experience and skills to tackle more complicated and time-consuming recipes. But I still turn to my well-worn copy of "Quick From Scratch Italian" for busy weekday meals. Rigatoni with sausage and tomato cream sauce is a favorite recipe for those nights when I don't have the time to let a Bolognese or marinara sauce simmer. It's nearly as easy as opening a jar of Ragu, but much more satisfying.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 pounds mild or hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 1/2 cups canned crushed tomatoes in thick puree (from 15-ounce can)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 cup cream
• 1 pound rigatoni
• grated Parmesan, for serving

Directions
1. In a large frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking up the meat with a fork, until it is no longer pink, about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove the sausage from the pan. Discard all but 1 tablespoon fat.

2. Reduce the heat to moderately low. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook until it almost evaporates, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sausage, tomatoes and salt. Simmer, covered, for 10 minutes. Add the pepper, parsley, and cream.

3. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the rigatoni until just done, about 13-14 minutes. Drain the pasta and toss with the sauce. Serve with grated Parmesan.

Serves 4.

This recipe was written by Jessica Webster and originally posted on AnnArbor.com on Sept. 1, 2010.