Tortellini with Sausage, Peas and Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce
Level: Easy Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 50 minutes Yield: 4 Servings
INGREDIENTS
1 head garlic, cut in half across its equator
1 cup heavy cream
10 basil leaves
1 pound Cheese tortellini (fresh if you can find it, we got ours at the Pasta Shop in Denville, NJ)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
14 ounces mild pork sausages, or sweet Italian sausages removed from their casing
Kosher salt, to taste
1/2 cup white wine
1 ½ Tbsp Mascarpone cheese or crumbled Blue Cheese
⅓ Cup Frozen Peas
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Preheat oven to 400°
Place the garlic head halves on a sheet of aluminum foil, drizzle with Olive Oil, wrap up and roast in the oven for 35-40 minutes until softened and slightly caramelized.
In a small saucepan, place the Heavy Cream, roasted Garlic, and basil leaves. Mash the garlic with a fork while bringing to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 1 hour.
Bring a large pot of salty water to boil.
In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, then add the sausage, breaking it up into a fine crumble and cook until golden, 7-10 minutes.
When the sausage is browned , put the tortellini into the boiling water, stir and continue making the sauce. Cook the tortellini until al dente. Before draining the pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
Now that the sausage is browned, add the wine and turn the heat to high. Reduce the liquid for 2 minutes, then lower the heat and add the mascarpone, and infused cream.
Once the cheese is melted, add the frozen Peas, and the Tortellini along with some of the pasta cooking water as needed to create a creamy, sauce. If too thin, allow to reduce to thicken slightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper, divide among plates, and garnish with Parmesan.
