Torchietti with Sausage & Tomato Cream Sauce
Deeply browned Italian sausage, Mutti passata and just a touch of cream make a quick, savory sauce that settles into every twist and fold of the Torchietti.
Directions
1. Bring the pasta water to a boil
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water generously. Do not add the pasta yet.
2. Brown the sausage
Heat a nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the hot and mild bulk Italian sausage with no additional oil. Break the sausage into roughly pea-sized pieces and cook until well browned. Do not drain the rendered fat; it will become part of the sauce.
3. Start the Torchietti
As soon as the sausage is browned, add the Torchietti to the boiling salted water. Cook until just shy of al dente so the pasta can finish cooking in the sauce.
4. Build the sauce
Transfer the browned sausage and all of its rendered fat to a 5-quart saucier. Add the entire jar of Mutti passata and stir to combine over medium heat.
5. Add the cream
Just before the Torchietti is finished cooking, add the heavy cream to the sauce. Stir until the cream is completely incorporated.
6. Transfer the Torchietti
Using a scoop colander, transfer the Torchietti directly from the cooking water into the saucier. A small amount of pasta water will naturally come along with it and help bring the sauce together.
7. Finish in the sauce
Toss the Torchietti with the sausage and tomato cream sauce and continue cooking until the pasta reaches al dente and the sauce thoroughly coats every piece. Taste just before plating and adjust the salt only if needed.
8. Serve
Plate immediately and finish with freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano.
Notes
I use a 50/50 mixture of hot and mild bulk Italian sausage. Caputo's bulk Italian sausage is my favorite, but any good-quality Italian sausage will work.
Paul's Tips
Once you've emptied the jar into the saucier, add a small splash of water to the empty jar, put the lid back on and give it a good shake. Pour that into the sauce too—you'll get every last bit of tomato out of the jar. My grandmother would have killed me if I threw away that much sauce.
A 50/50 mixture of hot and mild Italian sausage gives this sauce a little heat without overpowering it. Use all hot sausage for a spicier version or all mild for a gentler one.