Creamy Paccheri with Sausage, Cacio e Pepe

Paccheri Cacio, Pepe, and Sausage – A Deliciously Creamy Italian Pasta Dish

Category: Pasta
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Prepare the Vegetables and Sausage:
   Begin by peeling and finely chopping the red onions. This will be the base flavor for the sauce. In a large skillet, heat a drizzle of olive oil over medium heat and add the chopped onions. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they soften and begin to caramelize, about 5-7 minutes.

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2. Cook the Sausage:
   While the onions are cooking, take the sausage and remove the casing. Crumble the sausage into small pieces. Once the onions are golden and aromatic, add the sausage to the pan, breaking it apart as it cooks. Continue to cook the sausage for about 10 minutes, or until it’s browned and cooked through.

3. Deglaze with Red Wine:
   Once the sausage is fully cooked and browned, pour in the red wine. Let it cook for a few minutes, allowing the alcohol to evaporate and the flavors to combine. This step will add depth to the overall flavor of your dish. Once the wine has reduced, remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

4. Cook the Paccheri:
   Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the paccheri and cook according to the package instructions, usually about 16 minutes. Be sure to check the pasta for doneness—it should be al dente, firm yet tender to the bite. Once cooked, reserve a cup of the pasta cooking water and drain the rest.

5. Prepare the Cheese Sauce:
   In a separate large bowl, combine the grated Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses. Add a small amount of the reserved pasta cooking water to the cheese mixture to help it melt smoothly. Grate a generous amount of fresh black pepper into the bowl and mix everything together with a spatula until the cheese mixture is smooth and slightly compact. The texture should not be too crumbly or too creamy, but somewhere in between—a perfect consistency for cacio e pepe.

6. Combine Pasta and Sausage Mixture:
   Add the cooked paccheri to the skillet with the sausage and onions. Toss the pasta in the skillet to coat it with the flavorful sausage mixture. Gradually add the cheese mixture to the pan, stirring gently as you go. If the cheese mixture becomes too thick, add a little more reserved pasta water, a spoonful at a time, until the sauce reaches a creamy consistency that clings to the pasta.

7. Serve and Enjoy:
   Once the paccheri is well coated with the creamy cheese sauce and sausage, it’s ready to serve. Plate the pasta while it’s hot, ensuring each portion gets a good amount of sausage and cheese. For an extra touch, sprinkle a little more freshly ground black pepper over the top.

Pro Tip: To avoid making the sauce too watery, be sure to add the pasta water gradually, mixing and checking the consistency until it becomes a smooth, velvety cacio e pepe sauce. The key to this dish is balancing the creamy cheese with the flavorful sausage without overwhelming it with too much liquid.

Enjoy this hearty and comforting dish as the perfect Italian meal to share with family or friends, especially on chilly evenings or any occasion that calls for delicious, home-cooked pasta!

Nutritional Information (approximate per serving):

This dish balances rich flavors with creamy cheese and savory sausage, making it an irresistible choice for pasta lovers.