Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 10

Total Time: 15

Servings:

Easy, simple, and super tasty Orecchiette Pasta with Sausage and Tomatoes will soon be your weeknight go-to dinner recipe.

Ingredients

1 pound pasta, orecchiette
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 pound mild Italian sausage
1 cup tomatoes, diced in large chunks
2 ounces Parmigiano Reggiano cheese

US - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot of boiling salted water cook the orecchiette pasta until they are al dente. Drain and reserve ¼ cup of the cooking water.
Separate the Italian sausage into small bite-size chunks and add them to a large skillet. Cook on medium-high heat until nicely browned and cooked through. About 6-8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a plate. Discard all excess grease released from the sausage.
Return the skillet to the stove and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and add the tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes and. cook over medium-low heat. The tomatoes are ready when soft but not falling apart.
Cook until the liquid is reduced by half and the tomatoes are nearly broken down, about 5 minutes.
Add the pasta to the skillet along with the cooked sausage and stir until the pasta is well coated. Add some of the cooking. water if too dry.
Remove from the heat and stir in the shredded Parmigiano cheese.
Transfer to bowls and serve right the way.

Notes

Storage and reheating

If you are lucky to have some leftovers, save them in an air-tight glass container in the refrigerator for a couple of days.

To reheat, bring back to room temperature, place the orecchiette into a skillet, and add a couple of tablespoons of water and a dot of butter.

Warm up slowly and add more water if need be.

You can also add a chopped-up fresh tomato to the skillet, and once it is slightly cooked, add the orecchiette pasta and warm it to your liking.

Substitutions

Mild sausage can be substituted with hot sausage.

Orecchiette pasta can be substituted with small tubular pasta such as rigatoni mezzi or penne.

Fresh tomatoes can be replaced by any tomato: Campari or cherry. Watch the cooking process; the small tomatoes tend to cook faster and break down quickly.

Nutrition

Giangi's Kitchen provides nutritional information, but these figures should be considered estimates, as a registered dietician does not calculate them.