Southern Autumn Pasta | Cooking Professionally

Ingredients

• 1 pound hot or mild Italian sausage links, casings removed
• 1 pound sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more, to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided, plus more, to taste
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1/2 red onion, slivered
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces rigatoni or a similar medium pasta shape
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely shredded
• 1 cup arugula or spinach leaves, packed
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes