Description

This pasta with sausage and ricotta cheese is made with chicken sausage, cannellini beans and radicchio for a filling and hearty dinner.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
3 chicken sausages (15 oz total), casing removed
12 oz (340g) rigatoni (dry)
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/2 head radicchio (small, cored and thinly sliced)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can cannellini beans (398ml), drained and rinsed
1/3 cup dry white wine (or dry vermouth)
1 cup pasta water (reserved)
1 cup whipped ricotta
1 oz freshly grated parmesan (finely grated, about 1/2 cup packed), plus extra for garnish
zest from one lemon
chopped fresh parsley (optional, for garnish)
red pepper flakes, optional (for garnish)

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Instructions

Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the oil. Once warm, add the sausage and cook, crumbling with the back of a spoon. Brown the sausage, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about ten to 12 minutes total.
Remove the cooked sausage with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, reserve pasta water and set aside. Toss the pasta with a drizzle of olive oil to avoid it sticking.
In the same skillet over medium-low heat, add the shallot (adding oil, if needed to avoid sticking). Cook, stirring often, until softened and starting to brown around the edges, about five minutes.
Add the radicchio and cook for one minute and then add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring often. Add the beans and season with salt and pepper.
Deglaze the skillet with the wine (or vermouth) and cook, until reduced, about two minutes.
Add the sausage back into the skillet and toss to combine. Turn the heat to low just to keep warm.
Pour the pasta into the pot you cooked it in. Turn the heat to medium-low and add half the pasta water along with the ricotta, parmesan and lemon zest. Toss until the pasta is coated.
Add the sausage mixture into the pasta and keep tossing until everything is combined, adding more pasta water as needed to loosen. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish with parsley and red pepper flakes and serve. Enjoy!

Notes

No wine/vermouth: use chicken stock.

Chicken sausage: use a flavoured high quality chicken sausage for the best flavour. I used a scallion and garlic chicken sausage.

How to make whipped ricotta: Spoon the ricotta into a food processor. Process on high until smooth, creamy and whipped, about two to three minutes. Set aside. This can be made in advance and stored in a sealed container in the fridge.