A flavor packed rigatoni pasta dish from Rome. The sauce contains Italian pork sausage, tomato, cream, and brandy.
The prisoner’s pasta is a Roman dish with a creamy tomato sausage brandy sauce.
This is our latest comfort meal, and you can prepare it in a skillet at the last minute, making it a perfect weeknight dinner meal.
Jump to:
TL;DR
When in Rome, look out for a Pasta alla Carcerata, which literally translates to Prisoners pasta.
If you would rather not wait that long, consider making this traditional Italian pasta dinner tonight.
Cooked rigatoni pasta is tossed in a creamy tomato brandy sauce with seasoned Italian pork sausage.
Just as in the Penne alla Vodka sauce, the brandy helps in binding the sauce. The result is a silky smooth pasta sauce, which looks beautiful on your noodles.
Ingredient Notes
- Rigatoni — or another similar tubular pasta variety such as Tortiglioni, Penne, Mezzi Rigatoni (that’s what I used).
- Salt + Water — to boil pasta.
- Italian Sausage — aka Salsiccia in Italian, fresh raw sausage, with or without fennel or chili pepper.
- Olive Oil
- Onion — sliced or diced.
- Sweet Paprika or Cayenne Pepper — adds color and flavor. I prefer paprika, but if you want to add heat, use cayenne pepper.
- Salt & Black Pepper
- Brandy
- Tomato Sauce or Crushed Tomatoes — unflavored.
- Cream — heavy cream, table cream, or crème fraîche (that’s what I use).
- Parmesan — Shaved or grated. Try getting Parmigiano Reggiano for a flavor level up.
- Parsley — fresh, to top.
Process Overview
Step 1
Cook Pasta as per cooking instructions in boiling salt water.
Strain when done.
Step 2
If the Sausage is in a casing, to take it out and break it into smaller pieces.
Step 3
Sauté onions in olive oil.
Stir in Sausage.
Step 4
Season with paprika and black pepper, mix it all well.
Step 5
Deglaze with brandy, pour in tomato sauce and cream.
Mix it all well, cook the sauce for a few minutes and add salt to taste.
Step 6
Take from the heat, toss the cooked rigatoni into the sauce and top with Parmesan and chopped parsley.
Serve hot.
📖 Recipe
Prisoner’s Pasta (Pasta alla Carcerata) Recipe
A flavor packed rigatoni pasta dish from Rome. The sauce contains Italian pork sausage, tomato, cream, and brandy.
Print
Pin
Rate
Servings: 3 servings
Calories: 776kcal
Instructions
-
Cook pasta as per package instructions in boiling salt water. Strain when done cooking and keep aside.
3 cups Rigatoni, Dash Salt, Water
-
While the pasta is boiling, prepare the meat sauce. If the sausage is in a casing, take it out from the casing and break it into smaller chunks with your fingers.
¾ Pound Italian Sausage
-
Heat up a skillet with olive oil and sauté sliced/diced onion over a medium heat setting until a bit soft.
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil, 1 Medium Onion
-
Stir in sausage pieces and season with paprika, or cayenne, and black pepper.
¾ Pound Italian Sausage, ½ Tablespoons Paprika, ⅛ Teaspoon Black Pepper
-
Combine and cook for a minute or two.
-
Reduce the heat if it’s too intense, and deglaze with the brandy.
⅓ Cup Brandy
-
Keep on adding the tomato sauce, or crushed tomatoes, and cream. Mix the contents of your sauce and increase the heat to medium heat setting if needed.
1½ Cup Tomato Sauce, ½ Cup Heavy Cream
-
Season with salt to taste and let it simmer for another 3-5 minutes at least so that the flavors of your sauce get to develop and take on shape.
Salt
-
Take the sauce from the heat. Toss the cooked pasta in the tomato meat sauce so that the pasta is fully covered in sauce.
-
Top with freshly cut or chopped parsley and shaved or grated parmesan to serve hot.
Parmesan, Parsley Fresh
Notes
Prep time is about 5 minutes, but 10 minutes if you have to remove the sausage casing.
Prepare the sauce in a pan while the pasta is cooking to save time. That’s about 10 minutes for the paste and 12 minutes to prep the sauce.
7 ounces Pasta = 3 cups = 200 grams
Nutrition
Nutrition Facts
Prisoner’s Pasta (Pasta alla Carcerata) Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 776
Calories from Fat 405
% Daily Value*
Fat 45g69%
Saturated Fat 19g95%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g
Monounsaturated Fat 18g
Cholesterol 103mg34%
Sodium 1177mg49%
Potassium 810mg23%
Carbohydrates 57g19%
Fiber 5g20%
Sugar 9g10%
Protein 22g44%
Vitamin A 1702IU34%
Vitamin C 13mg16%
Calcium 101mg10%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Serving & Storing
This dish is great on its own and doesn’t require any sides, but you might enjoy a small portion of a tangy side salad with this pasta dish.
You can meal prep this dish for the week and store in rectangular glass containers cooled in the refrigerator or frozen.
Just don’t top the pasta with the parsley or Parmesan, keep that for when you are ready to enjoy your pasta.
To thaw and heat, place in the oven or microwave to gradually reheat.
