Ingredients

The following ingredients have 4 Servings
  • 1 pound penne pasta
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound sweet or spicy Italian sausage (we prefer spicy)
  • 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen corn (thawed, not canned!)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 8 ounces mascarpone
  • 1 tablespoon Sambal chili paste (found in the Asian aisle at your local grocery store)
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil (chopped)

Instruction

  • Boil a large pot of salted water on medium-high heat. Add penne and cook according to the package directions. Once noodles are al dente, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water, then drain the remaining water from the noodles. Make sauce while pasta is cooking.
  • Heat a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and sausage; cook for about 5-6 minutes, breaking up the sausage as it cooks with a wooden spoon. Break the sausage into bite-sized pieces. 
  • Add the yellow onion and cook for another minute or two. Stir in the corn and salt. Stir until the corn is warm, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a large serving dish.
  • Add mascarpone, chili paste, the hot pasta, and the 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water to the large serving bowl with the corn and sausage. Add the Parmesan directly over the hot pasta. Then using a large serving spoon, toss everything together well. Then add the basil and lightly toss again.
  • Serve immediately and with additional Parmesan cheese if desired.