Melted Leek and Sausage Shells
A main that leans on bulk spicy italian sausage and medium leeks.
contains glutencontains dairycontains meatcontains alcohol
Ingredients
US
Metric
- Olive oil, for coating the pan
- 225 g bulk spicy Italian sausage
- 4 medium leeks, light green and white parts only, cleaned of grit and diced
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 1 (4.5oz) tube tomato paste
- 120 ml dry white wine
- 5 ml jarred chopped Calabrian chilis (optional; or red chili flakes to taste)
- 455 g large shells or rigatoni
- 55 g mild goat cheese
- 60 ml heavy cream
- 120 ml freshly grated pecorino (plus more for serving)
- Fresh torn basil, for serving
Make it lactose-friendly
- 2 ounces mild goat cheese → lactose-free or aged hard cheese (naturally lower lactose)
- ¼ cup heavy cream → lactose-free heavy cream or full-fat coconut cream
Steps
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat to cook the pasta.
- Meanwhile, add oil to coat the bottom of a large pot and heat until hot. Add in sausage and brown, breaking up with the back of your spoon until browned, 6-7 minutes. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate and set aside.
- Add the leeks to the sausage drippings and cook over medium low heat, stirring, until very soft, 15-20 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for another 1 minute. Return the sausage to the pan.
- Add tomato paste and cook over medium heat, stirring, until it begins to darken in color, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chilis.
- Deglaze with wine and let reduce slightly, 1-2 minutes. Turn the heat to low.
- Season the boiling water heavily with salt. Drop in the pasta and cook until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, finish the sauce. Add in the goat cheese and cream along with a couple ladlefuls of pasta water to help thin the sauce and melt the cheese into the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Turn the heat to low as pasta finishes.
- Drain the pasta and add to the pan with sauce (reserving the pasta water!). Stir to coat the pasta in the sauce, adding more ladles of pasta water to create a silky saucy consistency. Stir in the pecorino. Add more pasta water as needed to create a creamy and emulsified sauce. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Serve garnished with more grated pecorino, more black pepper, and basil.
Nutrition (estimated, per serving)
| Calories | 442 |
|---|---|
| Protein | 9.9 g |
| Fat | 17.5 g |
| Carbs | 63.4 g |
| Fiber | 3.2 g |
| Sodium | 261 mg |