Rigatoni with Spicy Sausage, Artichokes and Sun-dried Tomatoes

I like the combination of sausage, artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes, but something seemed to be missing. At first I thought the flavor of the dish was sort of "muddy" - no particular flavor stood out and it seemed something was missing, but I had it for leftovers the next day and it was really good. I think the flavors just needed time to develop.   I served it along with toasted french bread that was drizzled with some of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes and sprinkled with a bit of Asiago cheese - yum!

Ingredients

1/2 cup sun-dried tomato (oil-packed, sliced, 1 tablespoons of the oil reserved)

1/2 lb hot Italian sausage, casings removed

1 (14 ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained

1-2 garlic cloves, minced

3/4 cup chicken broth

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 TBS dried basil

1/2 TBS dried parsley

8 ounces rigatoni pasta (or any short tubular pasta)

1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded (plus extra for serving)

salt & fresh ground pepper

Directions

Heat the oil that was reserved from the sun-dried tomatoes in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sausage and cook until browned; breaking up the meat as it cooks. When the sausage is fully cooked, transfer it to a bowl with a slotted spoon. Add the artichokes, and garlic to the hot skillet and saute over medium heat, until garlic is tender, about 2 minutes. Add the broth, wine, sun-dried tomatoes and herbs. Boil over medium-high heat until sauce is slightly reduced, stirring occasionally, about 6-8 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Salt the water and cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta.

Add the cooked pasta, reserved sausage and 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to the artichoke mixture.Toss everything together until sauce is nearly absorbed by the pasta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with extra cheese to pass at table.

Adapted from a recipe by Giada DeLaurentis.