Creamy Smoked Sausage Fajita Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 lb rigatoni pasta
• 1.5 lbs beef rope sausage (sliced)
• 2 tbsp salted butter
• ¼ large red onion (sliced)
• 1 red bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 green bell pepper (sliced)
• 1-2 tbsp minced garlic
• 1½ tbsp tomato paste
• 3 cups heavy cream
• ½ cup chicken broth
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ¼-½ cup reserved pasta water, as needed
• Seasonings
• 1 tsp each salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and chili powder

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the rigatoni according to package directions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.
2. While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet and add the sliced beef sausage and cook until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
3. In the same skillet, melt the butter. Add sliced red onion, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper. Season with a pinch of salt and sauté until slightly softened.
4. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to deepen the flavor.
5. Add minced garlic and chicken broth. Stir well and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer.
6. Pour in the heavy cream and stir until combined. Bring the sauce to a high simmer, then add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, and chili powder.
7. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese. Add the cooked sausage back to the skillet along with ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. If needed, add more pasta water.
8. Add the cooked rigatoni and toss until everything is evenly coated in the creamy fajita sauce.
9. Remove from heat, cover, and let sit for 10 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken before serving.