Pork Sausage & Roasted Bell Pepper Pasta

Adjust rack to middle position and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.Halve bell pepper; remove stem and seeds. Peel garlic. Thinly slice chili.

Drizzle each bell pepper half with oil and season with salt and pepper; place, cut sides down, on a lightly oiled baking sheet.Place garlic in the center of a small piece of foil. Drizzle with oil; season with salt and pepper. Cinch into a packet and place on same sheet.Roast on middle rack until bell pepper is lightly charred and garlic is softened, 20-25 minutes.

Once water is boiling, add cavatappi to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water (2 cups for 4 servings), then drain.

While pasta cooks, remove sausage* from casing if necessary; discard casing.Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook, breaking up meat into pieces, until browned and cooked through, 4-6 minutes. (TIP: If there’s excess grease in your pan, carefully pour it out.) If desired, stir in a pinch of chili; cook until fragrant, 15 seconds.Add tomato paste and ½ cup reserved pasta cooking water (¾ cup for 4 servings). Simmer until thickened, 2-3 minutes more. Turn off heat.

Carefully transfer roasted bell pepper and garlic to a cutting board. Thinly slice bell pepper into strips. Mash garlic with a fork.Return pan with sauce to low heat. Stir in garlic and cream sauce base.
Stir in bell pepper, drained cavatappi, half the Parmesan (save the rest for serving), and 2 TBSP butter (4 TBSP for 4 servings). TIP: If needed, stir in more reserved pasta cooking water a splash at a time until pasta is coated in a creamy sauce.

Season pasta with salt and pepper; divide between bowls. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and a pinch of remaining chili if desired. Serve.