Cavatelli with Spicy Tomato-Sausage Sauce
Submitted by lumpy
Cavatelli tossed in a spicy tomato sauce loaded with crumbled hot Italian sausage and fresh basil, topped with cool dollops of ricotta cheese. A hearty, make-ahead Italian pasta dinner ready in 30 minutes.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
5 minCOOK
25 minREADY
30 minThis is Sunday night pasta with a kick, and it barely asks anything of you.
Hot Italian sausage gets crumbled and browned in olive oil until the edges crisp, then simmers with tomato sauce, tomato juice, and fresh basil into a chunky, spicy ragù that coats every ridge and pocket of the cavatelli.
The real trick is the ricotta on top: cool, creamy spoonfuls that melt into the hot sauce and temper the heat just enough to keep you reaching for another forkful.
Make the sauce a day ahead if you want; it only gets better overnight.
Kitchen Tips
- Break the sausage into small, irregular pieces as it cooks so you get crispy bits mixed with tender ones
- If you can’t find cavatelli, penne is a solid swap since those tubes catch the chunky sauce just as well
- Use the reserved juice from canned tomatoes instead of water for a richer, more concentrated sauce
- Drop the ricotta on each plate in spoonfuls rather than stirring it in; the contrast of hot and cool is what makes this dish sing
Ingredients
Directions
Preparation: Remove casing from sausage.
Heat olive oil in large frying pan over medium heat; sauté sausage, breaking into small pieces, until color turns pale and sausage is just cooked through, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomato sauce, basil, and tomato juice; simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 5 minutes.
Sauce can be made 1 day ahead.
Cooking and Serving: Cook the pasta in 4 quarts boiling, salted water until just tender, about 8 minutes.
Drain well. Reheat the sauce.
Toss the pasta with sauce.
Serve on warmed serving dishes.
Garnish each serving with 3 tablespoons ricotta.
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