Rigatoni with Turkey Sausage and Peas in Creamy Tomato Sauce

For twenty years I've been going to Bar Pitti in NYC and ordering the Rigatoni Pitti, their signature Rigatoni with Turkey Sausage and Peas in Creamy Tomato Sauce. Only once did I venture out and try something new – the whole branzino – and okay, it was certainly very, very good (as is everything on the menu except for the country paté on crostini which looked like a thick serving of cat food piled high on a perfectly good crostini... why my body was strangely craving liver I do not know and why I continued to eat it until it was gone was also a mystery), but I will never waiver in my loyalty again. It is most definitely the dish I would request for my last meal!



I used to get my Rigatoni Pitti at least once a week when we lived down the street from Bar Pitti at 6th and Prince, but sadly we had to move to the suburbs which put a damper on my Rigatoni Pitti addiction. There was no way I was asking for the recipe for fear I would be banned forever. They are not the warmest and fuzziest of people (my niece got reprimanded for insisting on Parmesan cheese for some clam pasta dish because apparently cheese had no place with clams), but God love them... those people know how to cook! In fact, if it weren't for the cool people watching in front of the restaurant, I would forget I was eating at a restaurant in Manhattan and think I was eating a home cooked Italian meal in Tuscany. Anyway, I did what I had to do... I recreated the dish.

According to my children who share my sentiments about Rigatoni Pitti, my version "looks and tastes just like Rigatoni Pitti!" This was the only commentary  I could squeeze out of them because all they could manage to get out of their mouths in between bites was "mmmm..."

If you can't find fresh turkey sausage, you can substitute any non-fatty good Italian sausage.

Rigatoni with Turkey Sausage and Peas in Creamy Tomato Sauce

serves 4-5

1 lb. rigatoni pasta

4 ounces fresh peas

2 tablespoons olive oil

8 ounces fresh turkey sausage, cut into 1/2" pieces

1 14.5 ounce can crushed tomatoes

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup heavy cream

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

In a large pasta pot, bring water to a boil (start on the sauce while the water is boiling so everything is ready at the same time) and cook rigatoni until al dente (do not overcook), then drain.

In a separate smaller pot, bring water to a boil and cook peas for 2-4 minutes depending on size until tender, then drain.

In a pan big enough to hold all the prepared pasta, heat the 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat. Add the turkey sausage and fry for a few minutes until lightly browned on both sides. Remove sausage from the pan and put aside. Add the crushed tomatoes and salt to the pan (do not remove the oil), and simmer for a few minutes. Lower heat to low, add cream and stir allowing sauce to heat up for a few minutes (do not let sauce boil or it may curdle). 

Add the sausage back to the pan, then add peas and rigatoni. Toss to mix.

Top each plate of pasta with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.