Chicken Sausage & Bell Pepper Pasta

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce. Halve, core, and thinly slice bell pepper into strips. Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens. Zest and quarter lemon.

Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper and scallion whites; cook, stirring, until slightly softened, 3-4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Add sausage* to pan; cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes.Season with salt and pepper. If you like things spicy, stir in a pinch of chili flakes and cook until fragrant, 15 seconds. TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out.

Once water is boiling, add rigatoni to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

Add half the crushed tomatoes (all for 4 servings) to pan with sausage mixture and cook until softened, 1-2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium low.Stir in cream cheese, sour cream, half the Parmesan (save the rest for serving), ¼ cup reserved pasta cooking water, and 1 TBSP butter until thoroughly combined. (For 4, use ⅓ cup reserved pasta cooking water and 2 TBSP butter.)Season with salt, pepper, and lemon zest to taste. Add drained rigatoni and toss to coat. TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.

Divide pasta between bowls. Sprinkle with scallion greens, remaining Parmesan, and a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Serve with lemon wedges on the side.