Sausage Pasta with Ricotta Recipe

"This is such an easy pasta dish - which is very quick to prepare. Since there are very few ingredients in this dish; make sure to use fresh basil and a good quality fresh ricotta. What I like, is that it has no cream or heavy sauce, just fresh ingredients. In the time it takes to cook the pasta ... dinner can be on the table. Serve with romaine or a wedge of iceberg and fresh tomato slices for a simple quick dinner. This was adapted from www.italianfoodforever.com."

Step by Step Method

Step 1

NOTE ... I mentioned chicken sausage which is what I use. And, there are many wonderful flavors out there these days; spinach, sun dried, black olive, sage, spicy, etc. I happen to use a sun dried tomato chicken sausage which works very well in this dish. And since the sausage and cheese are the "key" flavors, use what brand and flavor of sausage you like best. But any mild sausage will work just fine. I used chicken to cut back on some of the fat and calories; but it isn't necessary. Sausage ... Remove the sausage from the casing and add to the saute pan with the garlic and red pepper flakes. Note: If using a pork sausage, you probably won't need to add much oil at this point - just a teaspoon is really all you need. If using chicken sausage which has less fat, you will probably need to add 1 tablespoon of oil. I also prefer to use a non stick pan and cook on medium low to medium heat to render the sausage slowly so it doesn't burn. Make sure to break up the sausage as it cooks - I use a fork which works well. I also don't like to break it up too fine, as I do like the sausage a bit more rustic in the sauce; but that is personal preference. Saute until golden brown (about 10 minutes). During the cooking, if the sausage gets a bit dry, add a little of the pasta water; just a tablespoon or two will keep it moist. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.

Step 2

Pasta ... As the sausage cooks, cook the pasta according to package directions in plenty of salted water. Drain the pasta (keeping 1 1/2 cups of the pasta water) and return to the pasta to the pot.

Step 3

Sauce ... To the cooked and drained pasta, add any remaining olive oil, sausage, cheese, ricotta, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper, (the cheese is salty so go easy); and some of the pasta water. Add enough water until the sauce becomes creamy. Approximately 3/4-1 1/4 cups is what I normally add. Add enough until you get the consistency you like. Then finish with the fresh basil and toss to combine.