Sausage and Shrimp Rigatoni

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 10 min. Cook Time: 45 min.

I decided to put this recipe together as an excuse to eat more of the marinara sauce I made.  I had fresh sausage, but felt like it needed something else, hence the shrimp.  And since I have fresh basil around, it was a perfect way to finish off the dish.

Ingredients

• 2 Cups Marina (get the recipe!)
• 4 Links Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1 Lb. Jumbo Shrimp - peeled and deveined
• 1 Tbsp. Crushed Red Pepper
• 1 Lb. Rigatoni
• 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
• 2 Fresh Basil Sprigs​ - chopped into ribbons

Directions

1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook rigatoni to package directions.
   
2. Preheat oven to 350°F
3. In an oven safe skillet, brown sausage links.  Once browned, add 1/2 cup of water and loosely cover with foil.  Place in oven until pasta is completely cooked.
4. In medium pot, or Dutch Oven, marinara sauce and simmer.
5. Add crushed red pepper. (Add more if you want this spicy like me!)
6. Remove sausage from oven, and move to plate to rest.
7. Cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side.
8. Slice sausage into 1/4 inch think rounds.  Add to pot.
   
9. Add shrimp to pot.
   
10. Add heavy cream to pot. and stir to incorporate.
    
11. By this point, pasta should be cooked.  Remove and without draining, add to pot.  Stir to coat with sauce.
    
12. Slice basil by stacking and rolling leaves and cutting into thin rounds.  Separate rounds and serve as garnish over pasta.
    

Sulli Says: Getting the pasta going first is huge for set up.  Everything else should be just about done when your pasta is finished if you're working efficiently.  If you follow the steps, you'll be enjoying your meal pretty quickly!


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