Rigatoni with Hot Italian Sausage, Basil & Mustard

In 2018 Food & Wine named this recipe one of their 40 best, from one of Britain’s best loved cookery author Nigel Slater, who puts together this spicy sausage pasta with basil and creamy mustard sauce in a foolproof recipe that can be made in less than half an hour. Don't be suspicious of the dish's flavour combination, although grainy mustard, spicy sausage, crisp white wine, and fragrant basil may seem like an odd assortment to accompany pasta, the finished product is greater than the sum of its parts, "a synchronized medley of tastes and textures" that you'll be craving again and again.

Pasta with Sausage, Basil, and Mustard

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Nigel Slater

1 pound penne, rigatoni, or medium shells

1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup dry white wine
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp grainy mustard

1 tbsp Dijon mustard
Pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup thinly sliced basil

8 hot Italian sausages, meat removed from casings and crumbled

1 cup grated parmigiana-reggiano

Gather the ingredients together. Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente and then drain. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the sausage meat and brown over moderately high heat, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and simmer, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add the cream, mustard, and crushed red pepper and simmer for 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, add the pasta and basil, and toss to coat. Serve immediately with grated parmigiana on the side.