Gino's creamy chipolata & mascarpone pasta
Gino’s back in the kitchen to bring us his go-to family meal at home. His rigatoni with chipolatas, courgettes and mascarpone is hearty & creamy - making it a perfect midweek dinner.
Creamy chipolata & mascarpone pasta
Serves 4
Ingredients
6 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
500g chipolata sausages, chopped into 2cm pieces
1 large courgette, chopped into 5mm cubes
200g pancetta, diced
500g dried rigatoni pasta
250g mascarpone cheese
100ml milk, at room temperature
60g finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more (optional) to serve
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
1. Pour 4 litres of water into a large saucepan, add 1 tbsp salt and bring to the boil.
2. Meanwhile, pour the olive oil into a large shallow saucepan and place over a medium heat. Add the onion and fry for 8 minutes.
3. Place in the chopped sausages, courgette and pancetta and fry for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
4. After about 15 minutes of cooking the vegetables and sausages, put the pasta into the boiling water and cook for 1 minute less than instructed on the packet, giving you the perfect al dente bite.
5. Spoon the mascarpone into the sausage mix and add a ladle of the boiling water from your cooking pasta.
6. Add the milk to the sausage sauce and stir well until combined. Sprinkle in the Parmesan, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp pepper and allow to simmer for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Turn off the heat and set aside.
7. When the pasta is ready, drain, then return it to the large pan in which it was cooked.
8. Pour over the chipolata sauce and stir well, ensuring all the pasta is coated in the sauce.
9. Divide the pasta between 4 warmed plates or large bowls and enjoy, sprinkled with a bit more cheese, if you like.