Quick, creamy, and full of punch! Italian pork sausages, fresh ricotta, and lemon come together in a light sauce that clings perfectly to rigatoni. Great for a weeknight dinner, ready in under 15 minutes!
Category
Dinner
Servings
4
Prep time
5 minutes
Cook time
10 minutes
Quick, creamy, and full of punch! Italian pork sausages, fresh ricotta, and lemon come together in a light sauce that clings perfectly to rigatoni. Great for a weeknight dinner, ready in under 15 minutes!
Inspired by recipes from the Pasta Queens and my mate Christian Petracca.
Ingredients
- 500g rigatoni
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 thick Italian pork sausages
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 300g fresh ricotta cheese
- zest and juice of 2 lemons
- ½ bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped
- sea salt, to taste
Directions
Cook the pasta
Bring a large saucepan of salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until al dente.
- Drain the pasta, saving a little of the pasta water.
Cook the sauce base
Peel the skin from the sausages.
- Heat the oil in a large saucier pan over medium heat. Break up the sausages into the oil into small ‘meatball size’ pieces. Cook for 3 minutes, without stirring, then begin stirring to brown on all sides.
- Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute, taking care not to let the garlic catch and brown too much.
- Reduce the heat to medium low and add (180ml) ¾ cup of the pasta water. Stir to mix in the frond from the base of the pan.
- Add the ricotta and break it up as you mix it through the sausage mixture. Add a little more water if needed. Continue stirring until the sauce becomes smooth.
Finish and serve
Stir through the lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the pasta water in case it is needed, then add the pasta to the sauce. Remove from the heat.
- Add the lemon zest and parsley and toss well to combine. Divide between serving bowls and garnish with a little more parsley and a drizzle of olive oil.
Recipe notes
Cook support
Leaving the sausage to cook for the first few minutes without stirring will help them to not stick to the pan, as they come away once they have browned.
Sourcing
Fresh ricotta is available from the deli counter at supermarkets and green grocers.
Substitutions
You can substitute smooth ricotta for the fresh in this dish, but you may not need as much pasta water added.
Serving ideas
Add some freshly grated parmesan to finish the dish off if you like more cheese flavour, or you could add some sliced zucchini to add more vegetables to the dish when cooking the sausage.
