Prisoner's Pasta (Pasta alla Carcerata) Recipe
A flavor packed rigatoni pasta dish from Rome. The sauce contains Italian pork sausage, tomato, cream, and brandy.
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 776kcal
Equipment
- Medium Pot (5 qt)
- Bowl to place the sausage while removing the casing (if it has a casing)
- Large Skillet
Ingredients
To Boil Pasta
- 3 cups Rigatoni
- Dash Salt
- Water
For the Meat Sauce
- ¾ Pound Italian Sausage
- 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
- 1 Medium Onion sliced or diced
- ½ Tablespoons Paprika sweet, or Cayenne pepper for heat
- ⅛ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- ⅓ Cup Brandy
- 1½ Cup Tomato Sauce or Crushed Tomatoes, unflavored
- ½ Cup Heavy Cream or Table Cream
- Salt to taste
- Parmesan shaved or grated
- Parsley Fresh Italian parsley preferred
Instructions
- Cook pasta as per package instructions in boiling salt water. Strain when done cooking and keep aside.3 cups Rigatoni, Dash Salt, Water
- While the pasta is boiling, prepare the meat sauce. If the sausage is in a casing, take it out from the casing and break it into smaller chunks with your fingers.¾ Pound Italian Sausage
- Heat up a skillet with olive oil and sauté sliced/diced onion over a medium heat setting until a bit soft.1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Medium Onion
- Stir in sausage pieces and season with paprika, or cayenne, and black pepper.¾ Pound Italian Sausage, ½ Tablespoons Paprika, ⅛ Teaspoon Black Pepper
- Combine and cook for a minute or two.
- Reduce the heat if it's too intense, and deglaze with the brandy.⅓ Cup Brandy
- Keep on adding the tomato sauce, or crushed tomatoes, and cream. Mix the contents of your sauce and increase the heat to medium heat setting if needed.1½ Cup Tomato Sauce, ½ Cup Heavy Cream
- Season with salt to taste and let it simmer for another 3-5 minutes at least so that the flavors of your sauce get to develop and take on shape.Salt
- Take the sauce from the heat. Toss the cooked pasta in the tomato meat sauce so that the pasta is fully covered in sauce.
- Top with freshly cut or chopped parsley and shaved or grated parmesan to serve hot.Parmesan, Parsley Fresh
Notes
Makes about 2–3 servings, depending on the serving size.
Prep time is about 5 minutes, but 10 minutes if you have to remove the sausage casing.
Prepare the sauce in a pan while the pasta is cooking to save time. That's about 10 minutes for the paste and 12 minutes to prep the sauce.
7 ounces Pasta = 3 cups = 200 grams
Nutrition
Calories: 776kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 45g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Cholesterol: 103mg | Sodium: 1177mg | Potassium: 810mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 1702IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 3mg
