Merguez Rigatoni with Bell Peppers and Basil
Merguez rigatoni combines spicy sausage, red onion, three colours of bell pepper, and tomato sauce, finished with a basil-Parmesan blend. The crumbled sausage catches inside the pasta tubes while the peppers stay tender enough to fold around them. Keep an eye on the rendered fat: the sauce should coat the pasta, without leaving a puddle of oil beneath it.
Ingrédients
- 10 1/2 oz dried rigatoni
- 14 oz fresh beef or lamb merguez sausages casings removed
- 1/2 red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 green bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1 small red onion thinly sliced
- 4 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 2 1/2 cups passata or smooth plain tomato sauce
- 1 loosely packed cup fresh basil leaves plus extra leaves for serving if desired
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan divided into 3 tbsp and 5 tbsp
- Salt to taste and for the pasta water
- Black pepper to taste
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water used only as needed
Instructions
- Finely chop the basil and mix with the olive oil, 3 tbsp Parmesan, and a little pepper, or blend briefly in a small processor. Set aside.
- Bring a large pot of water toward a boil. Prepare the peppers, onion, and garlic. Remove the sausage casings, then clean the utensils, board, and hands used for raw meat.
- Heat a wide, deep skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the merguez without added oil for 5–7 minutes, breaking it into small crumbles. Spoon off excess rendered fat, leaving about 1 tbsp in the skillet with the meat.
- Add the onion and cook 2 minutes. Add the peppers and cook 4–5 minutes. Stir in the garlic for 30–60 seconds.
- Add passata and simmer uncovered for 15–20 minutes, until the sauce coats a spoon and the peppers are tender. Ensure the beef or lamb sausage reaches 160°F. Meanwhile, salt the boiling pasta water and cook the rigatoni until just short of al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain.
- Toss the pasta in the sauce for about 1 minute, adding reserved water a tablespoon or two at a time if needed. Lower the heat and fold in the basil mixture.
- Remove from the heat. Stir in the remaining 5 tbsp Parmesan. Adjust the consistency with a little pasta water, taste before adding salt and pepper, and serve immediately.
Vidéo
Notes
Use a wide, deep skillet so the sauce can reduce. Pasta cooks while the sauce simmers. Sausage fat and salt levels vary by brand; remove excess fat and taste before seasoning. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and use within 3–4 days; reheat to 165°F. Nutrition varies with the sausage and the amount of rendered fat discarded.