Cavatappi with Sausage and Tomato

Serves 4-6
Prep Time: 20 min
Cooking time: 30 min

1 tablespoon olive oil
3/4lb (375 g) hot Italian sauage with fennel seed, loose or casings removed
1 lb (500 g) ripe plum (Roma) tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
2 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley
1/2 cup (4 fl oz/125 ml) heavy (double) cream
salt and ground pepper to taste
1 lb (500 g) diced cavatappi or fusilli
1 cup (4 oz/125 g) grated Parmesan cheese

The wide grooves of cavatappi, a corkscrew-shaped pasta, trap the bits of sausage in this creamy sauce. If you can't find a sausage flavored with fennel, add 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, preferably lightly crushed in a spice grinder or motar, at the same time that you add the sausage to the pan.

In a large saute pan over a med-low heat, warm the olive oil. Add the sausage and cook slowly, breaking it up into bits with a fork, until it loses it raw color, about 5 min; do not allow it to brown or harden. Stir in the tomatoes and parsley. Raise the heat to med and cook, uncovered, untill the tomatoes are soften, 5-10 min. Stir in the cream and simmer briefly until the cream thinkens slightly, about 3 in. Season with salt and peper, then remove from heat.

Bring a large pot three-forths full of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta, stir well, and cook until al dente (tender but firm to the bite), about 12 min or according to the package direction. While the pasta is cooking, reheat the sauce gently over low heat.

Drain the pasta and return to the warm pot. Add the sauce and toss. Divide among warmed dishes and serve at once. Pass the Parmesan cheese at the table.