Chicken Sausage Rigatoni Napoletano with Peas, Chili Flakes & Creamy Garlic Sauce

Step 1

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. • Cut tomato into ½-inch-thick wedges. Peel and finely chop garlic. Zest and quarter lemon.

Step 2

• Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook until al dente, 9-11 minutes. • Reserve ¾ cup pasta cooking water. • In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add peas to same pot and cook until tender. Drain.

Step 3

• Meanwhile, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage* and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned, 3-5 minutes (it’ll cook through later). Season with salt and a pinch of chili flakes.

Step 4

• Add tomato and garlic to pan with sausage. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tomato is slightly softened, 1-2 minutes. • Cut top off carton of cream sauce to open fully; pour contents into pan. Using a spoon or spatula, scrape any remaining sauce from carton into pan.

Step 5

• Pour in ¼ cup water (1⁄3 cup for 4 servings). Bring to a simmer and cook until sauce is slightly thickened and sausage is cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat to low. • Stir in half the Parmesan (save the rest for serving) and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for until melted. • Add lemon juice and zest to taste. Season with salt and pepper.

Step 6

• Add rigatoni and peas to pan with sauce; toss to coat. If needed, stir in reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until everything is coated in a creamy sauce. (For 4 servings, you may need to transfer everything into large pot.) • Divide pasta between bowls and top with remaining Parmesan and a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.