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Plate of creamy mascarpone sausage pasta, garnished with parsley in a white bowl.

Creamy Mascarpone Sausage Pasta

Creamy mascarpone Sausage Pasta is what happens when a French upbringing and an Italian pantry end up in the same pan. Italian chicken sausage browned until deeply caramelized, a sauce built on chicken bone broth, mascarpone, Dijon mustard, and Parmigiano Reggiano, tossed with rigatoni cooked two minutes shy of al dente so it finishes in the sauce and absorbs every bit of that creamy, deeply savory base.
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Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Mediterranean
Keyword: chicken sausage pasta
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5
Calories: 717kcal
Author: Lola Jay

Ingredients

  • 1 lb rigatoni cooked 2 minutes short of al dente, 1 cup pasta water reserved
  • 1 cup reserved pasta water
  • 1 lb Italian chicken sausage casings removed
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot diced
  • 3 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1.5 cups chicken bone broth
  • ½ tablespoon chicken bouillon
  • 6 oz mascarpone
  • ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano plus more for serving
  • ½ cup fresh parsley chopped
  • Salt and black pepper to taste after cheese is added
US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

Cook the pasta

  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni for 3 minutes less than the package's al dente instructions. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Before draining, reserve a full cup of pasta water. Drain and set aside.
    1 lb rigatoni

Brown the sausage

  • Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken sausage with the casings removed and spread into an even layer. Cook undisturbed for 4 minutes until a deep golden sear develops on the bottom. Break the sausage into crumbles and continue cooking until fully browned and cooked through.
    1 lb Italian chicken sausage, 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
    Cooking sausage chunks in a frying pan with steam rising, and a wooden spatula stirring.

Build the sauce

  • Reduce the heat to medium. Add the diced shallot to the pan with all the sausage drippings and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until softened and translucent. Add the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, and Dijon mustard. Cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
    1 shallot, 3 garlic cloves, 2 tsp Italian seasoning, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, 2 tsp Dijon mustard
    Adding mustard to cooking ground sausage in skillet near window.
  • Pour in the chicken bone broth and add the chicken bouillon. Stir to combine and scrape up any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. That fond is pure flavor.
    1.5 cups chicken bone broth, ½ tbsp chicken bouillon
    Pouring broth over ground meat sizzling in a pan by the window.
  • Reduce the heat to medium low. Add the mascarpone and stir gently until it melts completely into the broth and the sauce looks smooth and silky. Do not rush this step and do not increase the heat. Gentle heat is what keeps the mascarpone from separating.
    6 oz mascarpone
    Sautéed ground meat with a dollop of marscapone melting in a sizzling pan.

Finish the pasta

  • Add the drained rigatoni and toss to coat everything in the sauce. Let it simmer for 3 to 4 minutes so the pasta absorbs the sauce and finishes cooking through.
    Adding rigatoni to creamy sauce in a skillet.
  • Add the freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano and stir until completely melted into the sauce. Taste now before adding any salt. The Parmigiano adds significant salt on its own and you will almost always need less than you expect. Season with salt and black pepper accordingly.
    ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano, Salt and black pepper to taste
    Rigatoni pasta with creamy sauce, sausage, and grated Parmesan cheese in a skillet.
  • Add the reserved pasta water a quarter cup at a time, stirring between each addition, until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Silky and coating the pasta is what you are going for. Not soupy, not dry.
    1 cup reserved pasta water
    Bowl of creamy rigatoni pasta with sausage in a sunlit setting.

Serve

  • Top generously with fresh chopped parsley and extra Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve immediately while the sauce is still silky and the pasta is hot.
    ½ cup fresh parsley
    Creamy rigatoni pasta with sausage, cheese, and herbs in a white bowl, garnished with grated cheese.
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Video

Notes

Nutrition facts are only estimates.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The pasta will absorb the sauce as it sits and will be thicker when reheated. Add a generous splash of chicken bone broth and stir over medium low heat until the sauce loosens back to its original silky consistency. Avoid the microwave as it makes the pasta gummy and the sauce can separate. Not recommended for freezing as the mascarpone sauce texture suffers significantly once frozen and thawed.
 

Nutrition

Calories: 717kcal | Carbohydrates: 76g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 105mg | Sodium: 1169mg | Potassium: 347mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1455IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 216mg | Iron: 3mg
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