Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Mimmas Cafe is a favorite restaurant of ours.  When we first moved to Milwaukee we lived within walking distance of Mimmas.  During those years we enjoyed many walks to Mimmas for dinner.  Mimma Megna creates exquisite dishes from her homeland, Italy.  Mimma is the best in every way and we truly adore her.  She always welcomes us with a generous smile and is a gracious lovely host.  One of my favorite dishes at Mimmas is Faralle Taormina, Bow Tie Pasta with Mimmas Homemade Chicken Sausage, Chili Pepper, Tomato and basil in a cream sauce.  HELLO!!!!  This is my best attempt at replicating it at home.  It may not be Mimmas, but it is as close as I will get on my own. 

Pasta with Chicken Sausage and Tomato Basil Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pound cooked pasta (I use Campanelle)
• 2 cooked crumbled Chicken Sausages (I use two or three Whole Foods Italian Style Chicken Sausages, then I remove the casing and cook the crumbled sausage in a cast iron pan.)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Chili Peppers
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
• Salt to taste (1/4 Teaspoon)
• Pepper to taste
• 1 Cup Diced Tomatoes (fresh, canned, or roasted cherry)
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• 3 Tablespoon Fresh Basil (Chiffonade)
• 3 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1/4 Cup Chicken Broth or White Wine (this cuts some of the richness from the cream and helps to balance out the sauce)
• 1/2 Cup Salted Pasta Water (reserve and use if sauce is to thick)
• 1/2 Cup Shredded or Grated Parmesan Cheese

Directions:

• Cook Pasta (I cook it two minutes less than the package indicates, it will cook more when you add it to the cream sauce), reserve 1/2 Cup of Pasta Water
• Add 1 1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil and Sausage to pan and cook through
• Remove Sausage from pan
• Add Onion to pan and saute 5-10 minutes until soft and translucent (add remaining 1 1/2 Tablespoon olive oil)
• Add Wine/Broth to onions and deglaze pan, bring to simmer
• Add Chili Pepper, Cayenne, Cream, and bring to simmer and reduce until thickened
• Add Tomatoes, Sausage, Salt and Pepper to cream mixture and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes
• Toss Cooked Pasta with Tomato Cream Sauce and heat through, add reserved pasta water (if sauce is too thick add as needed to desired consistency) 
• Remove from heat and toss in Parmesan Cheese
• Serve and Enjoy