Rigatoni alla Norcina Rigatoni with Sausage and Cream

This traditional pasta a classic winter dish from the green hilltowns of Umbria. The sausage is the key to this pasta so make sure it is well seasoned, even with little pepper or chilli.

Ingredients for 4 people

• 30 ml / 4 tbsp olive oil
• 15 gm / 2 tbsp softened butter
• 4 shallots diced
• 200 gm lean, well-seasoned pork sausage
• 175 ml / 6 oz dry white wine
• 250 ml / 8 oz whipping cream
• 100 gm / ¼ ib Parmesan coarsely grated
• Fresh ground black pepper
• 400 gm / ¾ lb dried rigatoni

Remove the sausage meat from the casings and chop. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter and olive oil over a low heat. Add the shallots and cook slowly until soft and translucent. Add a little wine if necessary to keep them from browning. Add the sausage to the pan and cook until the meat browns. Turn up the heat, add the wine and stir. When the wine has almost evaporated add the cream in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly. When the sauce is well mixed, add half of the cheese and the black pepper. Lower the heat.

How to cook pasta

To cook pasta properly you need a large pot of rapidly boiling water. The best pot to use is a lightweight one, allowing the water to reach the boil faster and maintain a rapid boil after adding the pasta. When cooking dried pasta always use 4 quarts (3.8ltr) of water for one pound of pasta and when the water boils add the salt (½ tablespoon of salt for each pound of pasta).

Add the pasta and stir to separate the strands, making sure the pasta does not stick together. Cover the pot again until the water returns to the boil. When you believe the pasta is nearly cooked, begin tasting it every 10-20 seconds. It is finished when it is 'al dente' (cooked through but still firm to bite). The instant the pasta is done drain it right away. Pour the water and pasta into a colander. Shake the colander vigorously up and down to remove all the water.

Saucing the pasta

Have the sauce ready and warm when the pasta is cooked. Put the drained pasta into a warm bowl and being tossing rapidly with a fork and spoon, bringing it up from the bottom of the bowl, and turning it again and again in the sauce. Serve immediately.