Rigatoni with Sausage, Tomatoes and Zucchini
No matter how hungry you are, this wonderfully meaty rigatoni dish is sure to fill you up in the tastiest way possible. It’s a filling combination of sausage, pasta, tomato sauce, and vegetables, and will definitely appeal to your inner Italian.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound Italian sausage
5 minced garlic cloves
1 chopped yellow onion
1 cup chicken broth or white wine
¾ pound rigatoni pasta shapes
2 diced small zucchini
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato concentrate
2 cups cherry tomatoes
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Handful of chopped fresh basil
Freshly grated parmesan, to serve
DIRECTIONS:
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add a pinch of salt and the pasta.
Cook the pasta following the instructions on the package, then drain and keep warm.
Reserve ½ cup of the pasta sauce.
Meanwhile, as the pasta cooks, heat up the oil in another pan.
Sauté the onion in the oil for 10 minutes, along with the red pepper flakes if using.
Add the sausage and cook until browned, breaking it up with a wooden spoon.
Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the tomato paste, stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the broth or wine, tomatoes, salt and black pepper, and cook for 10 minutes
Scrape the stuck-on browned bits off the bottom of the pan as you go.
Stir in the zucchini and cook for 5 minutes.
Mix the drained cooked pasta into the zucchini mixture, adding some of the reserved pasta water if needed.
Stir in the basil, then serve with grated parmesan on top.