annie's favorite pasta

this is from sarah moulton's cookbook, sara's secrets for weeknight meals. it is fast and easy and one of our favorite dinners.

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
8 oz frozen breakfast sausage, slice 1/4 inch thick (do not defrost sausages before cutting them)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp rinsed, dried, and chopped fresh sage or 1/4 tsp rubbed
1 tsp rinsed and dried fresh thyme or 1/3 tsp dried
two 14 1/2 oz cans chopped tomatoes
1 pound rotelle (cartwheel) or other shaped pasta
2/3 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 oz parmigiano-reggiano cheese, finely grated

bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until hot; reduce the heat to medium, add the sausage, and saute, stirring occasionally, until it is just cooked through, about 5 minutes. (don't discard the fat released by the sausage.) add the garlic, sage, and thyme; cook 1 minute. add the tomatoes, reduce the heat to low, and simmer the sauce for 20 minutes.
during the last 10 minutes, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 10-12 minutes. add the cream to the sauce and simmer just until the sauce has thickened slightly. add salt and pepper to taste. drain the pasta, reserving 2/3 cup of the cooking liquid. stir the pasta cooking liquid into the sauce and toss with the drained pasta. top each portion with some of the parmigiano-reggiano.