American
Farfalle with Sausage, Tomato, and Cream
Farfalle catches a rosy cream sauce built from browned Italian sausage, plum tomatoes, onion, garlic, chile, and parsley, finished glossy with starchy pasta water.
6 servings · 15 minutes prep · 30 minutes cook
Ingredients
Pasta
- 12 ounces dried farfalle
- 2 tablespoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for pasta water
Sausage-Tomato Cream Sauce
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 can (28 ounces) whole peeled plum tomatoes, drained with liquid reserved, tomatoes chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1/2 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
Directions
Brown the Sausage and Aromatics
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add the sausage in walnut-size pieces and cook 4 to 5 minutes, turning only after the undersides brown, until well browned outside but not necessarily cooked through. Transfer the sausage to a clean plate; it will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Reduce heat to medium, add the onion, and cook 4 minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and pepper flakes for 30 seconds; do not brown the garlic.
Concentrate the Sauce
- Add the tomatoes, salt, browned sausage, and any accumulated juices. Simmer 8 to 10 minutes until free liquid is nearly gone, the tomato darkens slightly, and the center of the largest sausage piece reaches 160°F (71°C). If the pan becomes dry before the sausage reaches temperature, add reserved tomato liquid by tablespoons.
- Stir in the cream and simmer gently 4 to 6 minutes until rosy and thick enough that a spoon leaves a path. Vigorous boiling can split the cream.
Boil and Finish the Farfalle
- Meanwhile, boil the farfalle in 4 quarts (3.8 L) water seasoned with the salt until 2 minutes shy of package time. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Add pasta to the sauce with 1/3 cup pasta water and toss over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes until the bows are tender and glossy. Add water by tablespoons if tight. Fold in the parsley and serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow covered containers within 2 hours, use within 3 to 4 days, and reheat gently to 165°F (74°C), adding water as needed to restore the sauce.
Allergen and Product Check
- Allergen note: the base contains wheat and milk. The cashew-cream dairy-free option introduces cashew (tree nut), and sausage formulations vary; verify a dairy-free sausage label. For a nut-free dairy-free option, use unsweetened oat or soy cooking cream suitable for the intended allergies.
