Our Wedding Pasta
We’ve lived in the neighborhood for 13 years and love the hills, trees, and how our area feels like a hidden pocket in an otherwise developed part of town.
Our recipe is called “Wedding Pasta". It's a creamy Italian rigatoni that Liz and I have made together for over 20 years. When we got married, we even asked our caterer to serve it at our wedding, but our guest did not get the best example of a dish we had made together. Although it wasn’t quite right that day, we now enjoy making it ourselves a few times a year, and it never fails to be a crowd-pleaser.
The dish is special because it’s quick, comforting, and full of flavor. With cream, Italian sausage, butter, and Parmesan, it’s rich and satisfying. We even toss in peas to pretend it’s a little healthy. Our daughters, Aurora and Julia, love it so much they often go back for seconds (or thirds!).
Ingredients:
- 1 lb mild Italian sausage (remove casings)
- 1 medium white onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 medium tomatoes, chopped
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 lb rigatoni
- Italian flat-leaf parsley (for garnish)
- Shredded Parmesan (for garnish)
Instructions:
- In a large saucepan, sauté butter, onion, and sausage over medium-high heat. Break up the sausage as it browns.
- Once the sausage is browned and onions are translucent, add tomatoes, garlic, wine, and tomato sauce. Simmer for 15 minutes.
- When tomatoes have softened, add cream and peas. Stir and heat until large, shiny bubbles form. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, boil rigatoni in salted water until al dente (10–12 minutes). Drain, reserving a bit of pasta water.
- Toss the pasta with the sauce. If it’s too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water.
- Serve in a large dish, garnished with parsley and Parmesan.
We sometimes add red pepper flakes for a kick, though we leave them out for Julia, who prefers it mild.
Pair it with a simple salad and breadsticks—the kids love helping with those.