Pork Sausage & Roasted Pepper Pasta

🥘 Ingredients

• Italian pork sausage
  18 oz
• Parmesan cheese
  ¼ cup
• bell pepper
  2 unit
• butter
  4 tbsp
• cavatappi pasta
  12 oz
• chili pepper
  1 unit
• cooking oil
  2 tbsp
• cream sauce base
  8 oz
• garlic
  2 clove
• olive oil
  1 tsp
• pepper
• salt
• tomato paste
  3 oz

🍳 Cookware

• large pot
• baking sheet
• aluminum foil
• large pan

1. 

   1

   Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry all produce. Halve bell pepper ; remove stem and seeds. Peel garlic . Thinly slice chili pepper . Remove Italian pork sausage from casing; discard casing.

   bell pepper: 2 unit, garlic: 2 clove, chili pepper: 1 unit, Italian pork sausage: 18 oz
2. 

   2

   Drizzle each bell pepper half with cooking oil and season with salt and pepper; place cut sides down on a lightly oiled baking sheet . Place garlic in the center of a small piece of aluminum foil . Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Cinch into a packet and place on same sheet. Roast on middle rack until pepper is lightly charred and garlic is softened, ⏱️ 25 minutes .

   cooking oil: 2 tbsp
3. 

   3

   Once water is boiling, add cavatappi pasta to pot. Cook until al dente, ⏱️ 11 minutes . Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

   cavatappi pasta: 12 oz
4. 

   4

   While pasta cooks, heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, ⏱️ 6 minutes . (TIP: If there's excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out.) If desired, stir in a pinch of chili; cook until fragrant, ⏱️ 15 seconds . Add tomato paste and ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water. Simmer until thickened, ⏱️ 3 minutes . Turn off heat.

   olive oil: 1 tsp, tomato paste: 3 oz
5. 

   5

   Carefully transfer roasted bell pepper and garlic to a cutting board. Thinly slice bell pepper into strips; mash garlic with a fork. Return pan with sauce to low heat; stir in garlic. Pour in cream sauce base . TIP: Cut top off carton to open fully; transfer contents using a spoon or spatula to scrape sauce from carton sides. Stir in bell pepper, drained cavatappi, half the Parmesan cheese (save the rest for serving), and butter (use 2 tbsp now). TIP: If needed, add more reserved cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in sauce.

   cream sauce base: 8 oz, Parmesan cheese: ¼ cup, butter: 4 tbsp
6. 

   6

   Season pasta with salt and pepper and divide between bowls. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and, if desired, a pinch of remaining chili. Serve.

   salt, pepper