Ingredients

• 1 pound rigatoni pasta
• 4 Tablespoons olive oil 
• 1 pound Italian sausage, removed from the casing, crumbled or chopped 
• 32 ounce jar marinara sauce 
• 1/2 cup vodka 
• 3/4 cup heavy cream 
• 1 to 2 Tablespoon fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
• Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated, for garnish 
• fresh basil spring, for garnish

Instructions

Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until just al dente, 6-7 minutes. 

Drain in a colander, reserving some of the pasta water, and return noodles to the saucepan. 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage and cook, stirring, until browned and all pink has disappeared, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the marinara sauce to the sausage, then add the vodka and cook until the alcohol has dissipated and you can no longer smell spirits, 3 to 4 minutes.

Stir in the cream and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and remove from the heat.

Toss the sauce with the pasta to coat evenly and transfer to a pasta bowl for serving.

Top with cheese and a sprig of basil and serve immediately.