Sausage Lemon Garlic Pasta with Cherry Tomatoes

Ingredients

• 12 oz rigatoni
• to taste Salted water, for boiling
• 12 oz Italian sausage, sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt
• to taste Black pepper
• to taste Grated Parmesan (optional)
• to taste Fresh basil or parsley (optional)

Method

1. Cook pasta in salted water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain.
2. Brown sausage slices in olive oil; set aside.
3. Sauté cherry tomatoes 3–4 minutes until blistered; add to sauce.
4. Gently sizzle garlic in olive oil until pale gold.
5. Stir in lemon zest, juice, salt, and pepper; turn off heat.
6. Toss drained pasta with sauce, loosening with pasta water as needed.
7. Serve warm; top with Parmesan and herbs if desired.

Notes

Use reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency without diluting flavor.