Farfalle With Sausage, Tomatoes, & Cream

This is definitely by far my family's and my favorite pasta.  I get leaps and giggles from my children when I announce we're having it.  No moans and growns...not. ever!  It is amazing.  I've never found anyone who has walked away from this dish more than ecstatic.  My sister-in-law introduced it to me and I've made a few changes over the years.  I recall one time many many years ago when Marvel was about 1 or 2, I was really really sick with some sort of flu or something.  My s.i.l. brought me some of this pasta and I was seriously better within a couple of hours.  I'm not at all advocating that this has medicinal qualities like Thai green curry does for Music Man, but it got food in my body and there was absolutely no way my body was going to let it go.  Be careful, if you're not prepared to eat way more than you should, don't make this.  None of us have any portion control when I make this...we can't help ourselves!

• 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 lb hot Italian sausage, castings removed, crumbled (Don't worry, it really isn't that hot...my 1 year old eats it.  If you have a really whimpy mouth, still use the Hot stuff, just crumble it in big enough pieces that you can pick it out, but the hot gives it delicious flavor....believe me, from experience, if you use anything different, its not the same!)
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28 oz) can Italian plum tomatoes, coarsely chopped
• 1 pint (2 cups) whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
• 1 lb Farfalle (aka bowtie) pasta (since we have gluten intolerances here, I used penne rice pasta)
• Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add sausage and pepper flakes.  Cook until sausage is no longer pink, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes.  

Add onion and garlic to skillet and cook until onion is tender and sausage is light brown, stirring occasionally, about 7 minutes.

Add tomtatoes (break them apart with your clean, bare hands or with clean scissors, or just chop them in the pan with a spatula), cream, and salt.  Simmer until mixture thickens slightly, about 4 minutes (can be prepared a day ahead up to this point, cover tightly and refrigerate or freeze). 

Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.  Drain.

Bring sauce to simmer.  Add pasta to sauce and cook until pasta is heated through and asauce thickens, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.  

Divide pasta among plates.  Serve passing Parmesan separately.