Sausage Fajita Pasta

This might genuinely be the most delicious thing I've ever eaten

Original Recipe

Ingredients

  • Olive Oil   (2 tbsp)
  • Rigatoni Pasta   (1 lb)
  • Smoked Sausage, sliced into ¼ inch pieces 

Instructions

  1. Cook Pasta. according to packaging. I recommend boiling 1 Pound of Pasta in 4 Quarts of Water with 2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt until Al-Dente (about 8-10 minutes). Save some of the pasta water that was used to boil the pasta for later steps.

  2. Cook Sausage. In a skillet on medium heat, add in sliced smoked sausage and cook for about 1-2 minutes on each side. We’re looking to brown the sausages on each side. Once sausage is done cooking, remove from the skillet and set aside.

Sauce Ingredients

  • Butter   (2 tbsp)
  • Medium red onion, sliced   (½)
  • Red bell pepper, sliced   (1)
  • Green bell pepper, sliced   (1)
  • Garlic, minced   (3 Cloves)
  • Tomato paste   (2 tbsp)
  • Heavy cream   (2 cups)
  • Chicken broth   (½ cup)
  • Salt   (½ tsp)
  • Black pepper   (2 tsp)
  • Garlic powder   (1 tsp)
  • Cumin   (1 tsp)
  • Italian seasoning   (1 tsp)
  • Smoked paprika   (1 tsp)
  • Chili powder   (½ tsp)
  • Pasta water, from cooked pasta   (¼ cup)
  • Parmesan cheese, shredded   (1 cup)
  • Italian parsley, minced 

Sauce Instructions

  1. Cook onion, then peppers, then garlic. For our sauce, in the same skillet that was used to cook our sausage, add in butter. Once butter is melted, add in sliced onion and cook for 1 minute. Next, add in red bell pepper & green bell pepper. Add in a pinch of salt, and cook for another minute. Then, add in minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.

  2. Mix in tomato paste & chicken broth, and bring to a simmer. Begin to scrape up bits at the bottom of the skillet.

  3. Add in heavy cream and all the spices and mix in well. Continuously stir sauce, slightly turn up heat, and bring sauce to a high simmer.

  4. Add pasta water and simmer. Once the sauce is at a high simmer, slightly reduce heat and add in ¼ cup of pasta water from cooked pasta. Mix in well, and simmer sauce for about 10 minutes to thicken.

  5. Remove sauce from heat and let cool for about 2 minutes to continue to thicken. Next, mix in parmesan cheese. Then, toss in cooked pasta and sausage. Sprinkle on Italian parsley and additional parmesan cheese if you would like. Enjoy!