Sausage & Red Pepper Rigatoni

Sausage & Red Pepper Rigatoni

Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 red bell peppers, sliced
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 lb. Italian pork sausage
• 15oz can crushed tomatoes
• 1 lemon, zested (1tsp) then quartered
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional)
• ¼ cup cream cheese
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 12 oz rigatoni pasta
• ½ cup shredded parmesan cheese, divided
• Drizzle of olive oil
• Salt/Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced red pepper and cook, stirring, until slightly browned/soft (6-7 mins). Season with salt and pepper.
3. Add minced garlic and cook an additional minute. Remove red peppers/garlic from pan, set aside.
4. Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally until al dente (about 10 minutes). Reserve 1/3 cup pasta cooking water, then drain.
   1. *Note: You want pasta firm, if overcooked it will fall apart when mixing all other ingredients at the end.
5. In same skillet used for peppers; Add sausage to pan; cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through (5 minutes). Drain is necessary. If you like things spicy, stir in crushed red pepper and cook an additional 15 seconds.
6. Return red peppers back to skillet with sausage.
7. Add crushed tomatoes and cook 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat.
8. Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, ¼ cup parmesan cheese, and 1/3 cup pasta cooking water until thoroughly combined.
9. Stir in 1 tsp lemon zest.
10. Add drained rigatoni and toss to coat. Cook over medium heat for 5 more minutes until pasta is tender.
11. Top pasta with remaining parmesan cheese.
12. Serve with lemon wedge on the side.
13. Enjoy!

Health Score: 6.0/10 (Medium)

Health Scores are calculated on a 1-10 scale based on nutrient density and USDA recommendations for a healthy diet. A higher Health Score means healthier food. The value based on impact of more than 28 nutrients, here are the main ones:

Nutrition Facts:

Amount per serving:		% Daily Value based on 2,000 calorie diet
Calories	719.03kcal	36%
Total Fat	40.18g	57%
Carbs	61.71g	24%
Sugars	8.1g	9%
Protein	27.51g	55%
Sodium	1007.97mg	50%
Fiber	4.67g	17%