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Sausage & Burrata Rigatoni

Come autumn, we ‘Sotans have to start loading up on the heartiest food possible in preparation for our five-month pseudo-hibernation (that’s just how it works up here). Hence this dish of savory sausage, briny burrata (a.k.a. mozzarella’s creamier cousin), meaty artichoke hearts, intensely sweet sun-dried tomatoes, and toothsome rigatoni al dente — all of which complement and juxtapose each other simultaneously. Plus, the wine, chicken stock, and Parmesan meld into a rich sauce, creating a luscious glaze all over. Long story short: It’s our pasta party, and we’ll have lots of contrasting textures if we want to.

Sausage & Burrata Rigatoni

Servings: 4 to 6

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1 lb ground Italian sausage, spicy or mild
  • 1 14-oz can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
  • ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced
  • 2 cups chicken broth
  • ½ cup white wine
  • 1 lb rigatoni pasta
  • ½ cup shredded Parmesan
  • 2 Tbsp Italian parsley
  • Kosher salt, to taste
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • 8 oz burrata, quartered
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, torn

Directions

  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium high heat. Add the sausage in bite-size pinches, cooking until the sausage is brown and crispy on all sides, about 5 to 7 minutes.
  2. Remove the sausage and set it aside. Pour off the oil, lower the heat to medium, add the artichoke hearts and sliced garlic, and sauté for 2 minutes.
  3. Toss in the sun-dried tomatoes and wine and sauté for another minute.
  4. Add the chicken broth and bring the mixture to a simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, season generously with salt, and cook the pasta until it’s al dente, following the packaging instructions.
  6. Drain the pasta and add it to the broth in the pot.
  7. Add the cooked sausage, Parmesan cheese, and parsley and toss to combine all the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper.
  8. Garnish with burrata quarters and fresh basil. Serve immediately.

P.S.

You can use pre-shredded Parmesan if you’re in a rush — but we recommend getting a hunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano and grating it yourself (it’s worth the arm workout).