Paccheri with Quick Sausage Ragu

🥘 Ingredients

Prep the pasta water

• butter
  2 tablespoons
• chili flakes (optional)
  1 teaspoon
• fennel seeds
  1 tablespoon
• garlic (thinly sliced)
  4 cloves
• olive oil
  2 tablespoons
• onion (red, medium, thinly sliced)
  1
• pasta (paccheri)
  1 pound
• sausage (spicy italian, casings removed)
  10 1/2 ounces
• tomato paste
  1/3 cup

Cook the pasta

• heavy cream
  2/3 cup
• pasta water (you'll reserve it right before draining the pasta, kosher salt for salting the, plus more to taste)
  1 1/4 cup, 1 1/2 tablespoons

Finish the pasta and serve

• basil (fresh, for serving)
• black pepper (freshly grated)
  1/2 teaspoon
• freshly grated parmesan cheese (for serving)

🍳 Cookware

• pot
• skillet
• pan

Prep the pasta water

1. 1

   Set a large pot of water over medium-high heat. Cover and bring to a boil.
2. 2

   Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
3. 3

   Set a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter . Once melted, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is translucent and slightly softened, about ⏱️ 5 minutes .

   olive oil: 2 tablespoons, butter: 2 tablespoons, onion: 1 (red, medium, thinly sliced), garlic: 4 cloves (thinly sliced)
4. 4

   Add the fennel seeds and chili flakes (if using) and cook for another minute. Add the sausage , breaking it up in the pan as it cooks. Sauté until the sausage is nearly cooked through, about ⏱️ 5 minutes .

   fennel seeds: 1 tablespoon, chili flakes: 1 teaspoon, sausage: 10 1/2 ounces (spicy italian, casings removed)
5. 5

   Add the tomato paste and lower the heat to low. Let cook, stirring often, while you start cooking the pasta .

   tomato paste: 1/3 cup, pasta: 1 pound (paccheri)

Cook the pasta

1. 1

   Once the pot of water is boiling, season with salt and add the pasta. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is al dente, about ⏱️ 8 minutes . A few minutes before the pasta is done cooking, reserve 1 1/4 cups of pasta water for the ragu.

   pasta water: 1 1/2 tablespoons (kosher salt for salting the, plus more to taste)
2. 2

   Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
3. 3

   Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
4. 4

   While the pasta finishes cooking, add the reserved pasta water to the ragu and turn the heat back up to medium. The sauce should be simmering and start to thicken. When the pasta is just about done, add the heavy cream .

   pasta water: 1 1/4 cup (you'll reserve it right before draining the pasta), heavy cream: 2/3 cup
5. 5

   Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe
6. 6

   Simply Recipes / Ciara Kehoe

Finish the pasta and serve

1. 1

   Use a slotted spoon to transfer the pasta directly into the pan with the ragu. Gently stir or toss together to coat the pasta in the sauce. Once the pasta is coated and the sauce has thickened up, about ⏱️ 3 minutes , remove from the heat. Taste, adding salt if needed.
2. 2

   Serve immediately topped with black pepper , freshly grated parmesan cheese , and basil .

   black pepper: 1/2 teaspoon (freshly grated), freshly grated parmesan cheese (for serving), basil (fresh, for serving)
3. 3

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