Rigatoni With Sausage, Artichokes, and Asparagus

Found this in Giada De Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta cookbook. Hope you enjoy!

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 3⁄4 cup sun-dried tomato (they should be the oil-packed kind, sliced, 2 tablespoons of the oil reserved)
• 1  lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed
• 2 (8 ounce) packages artichoke hearts, frozen
• 1  cup asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2  garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 3⁄4 cups chicken broth
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine
• 12  ounces rigatoni pasta (any short tubular pasta is fine)
• 1⁄2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded (plus extra for serving)
• 1⁄3 cup fresh basil, chopped
• 1⁄4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 8  ounces mozzarella cheese, cubed (optional)
•  salt & fresh ground pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oil that was reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Add sausage and cook until browned; break up the meat as it cooks.
3. When brown and cooked all over, transfer sausage to a bowl with a slotted spoon.
4. Add artichokes, asparagus, and garlic to the skillet and saute over medium heat, until garlic is tender, about 2 minutes.
5. Add the broth, wine, and sun-dried tomatoes. Boil over medium-high heat until sauce is slightly reduced, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil.
7. Salt water and cook pasta according to package directions.
8. Drain pasta.
9. Add pasta, reserved sausage, 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, basil, and parsley to the artichoke mixture.
10. Toss everything together until sauce is nearly absorbed by the pasta.
11. Stir in mozzarella cheese, if using.
12. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
13. Serve with extra cheese to pass at table.