Equipment
Ingredients
Pasta
- 320 g rigatoni or penne, dry
- 4000 ml water
- 25 g salt
Sauce Base
- 350 g spicy italian sausage, casings removed
- 15 ml olive oil
- 400 g cherry tomatoes, whole
- 80 g kalamata olives, pitted and halved
Aromatics & Finish
- 3 garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and chopped
- 2 g red chili flakes
- 60 ml dry white wine
- 40 g pecorino romano, freshly grated
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Once boiling, add the salt.
While water heats, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage meat, breaking it up with a spoon into bite-sized chunks. Cook until well-browned and fat has rendered, ensuring internal temperature reaches at least 74°C/165°F.
Reduce heat to medium. Add sliced garlic, chopped rosemary, and chili flakes to the sausage fat. Sauté briefly until fragrant, being careful not to burn the garlic.
Add the cherry tomatoes and olives. If using wine, pour it in now to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cover the pan loosely and let simmer until tomatoes begin to burst and release their juices.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in the boiling salted water until 2 minutes shy of al dente (it will finish cooking in the sauce). Reserve 1 cup (240ml) of starchy pasta water, then drain.
Transfer the drained pasta directly into the skillet with the sausage and tomatoes. Add 120ml (approx 1/2 cup) of the reserved pasta water. Increase heat to high and toss vigorously until the sauce emulsifies and coats the pasta beautifully.
Remove from heat. Stir in half of the Pecorino Romano cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if necessary (sausage and olives are salty, so taste first). Serve immediately topped with the remaining cheese.
Chef's Notes
- Do not drain the sausage fat unless it is excessive (more than 2 tbsp); that fat carries all the spice and paprika flavor which forms the base of the sauce.
- Using whole cherry tomatoes instead of canned tomatoes provides a fresher, sweeter acidity that balances the heavy sausage perfectly.
- The 'mantecatura' step (tossing pasta with water and cheese at the end) is the secret to restaurant-quality texture. Never skip the pasta water.
- For extra texture, you can add a handful of toasted breadcrumbs (pangrattato) right before serving.
Storage
Refrigerator: 3 days — Store in an airtight container. Pasta may absorb liquid; add a splash of water when reheating.
Freezer: 1 month — Freezing is possible but pasta texture may degrade upon reheating.
Reheating: Reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water to re-emulsify the sauce.
