Fast and flavorful! That’s how Top Chef alum Fabio Viviani prefers his weeknight meals. In his new digital series, Dinner Is Served, the Chicago-based restaurateur is sharing quick, easy recipes that fans can replicate in their own homes. His first dish riffs on the classic carbonara, replacing spaghetti with rigatoni and pancetta with sausage. “I like rigatoni because they’re a good size and hollow,” he says in the clip above. “They hold the sauce very well.”
Like any Italian chef will tell you, the most important thing to remember when cooking pasta is to keep it al dente. “You undercook the pasta to the point that it’s not raw, but it’s still crunchy a little bit when you bite it,” explains the two-time competitor and Season 5 fan favorite. “That’s the only way you should eat pasta.”
Ready to try it for yourself? Watch the video and get the recipe below.
Rigatoni Sausage Carbonara
Serves 4
Ingredients
1 package (16 ounces) rigatoni
1 package (19 ounces) Mild Italian Sausage Links (Viviani uses Johnsonville)
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup grated Grana Padano cheese or Parmesan cheese, divided
4 egg yolks
Salt and cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente doneness; drain and set aside.
2. Cut sausage into 1-inch chunks.
3. In a large skillet, cook sausage in butter over medium heat until cooked through and browned, about 5 to 7 minutes.
4. Stir 2/3 cups broth into skillet, scraping up any browned bits. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook and stir until liquid is reduced by half, about 5 minutes.
5. Add rigatoni; toss to coat.
6. In a bowl, whisk together egg yolks, remaining 1/3 c. broth, and half of the cheese. Stir into skillet. Cook and stir until sauce is thickened and coats the pasta, about 2 minutes.
7. Season with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with the remaining cheese.