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1
Bring 6 quarts salted water to a boil in an 8-quart pot over high heat.
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2
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat; toss in the onion; cook/stirring, until wilted, about 4 minutes.
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3
Crumble the sausage into the skillet and stir, breaking up the sausage into small pieces as you do, until the sausage is lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
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4
Stir about half the mushrooms into the sausage mixture; add the remaining mushrooms as those in the pan wilt, making room for more.
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5
Cook, stirring occasionally, until all the mushrooms are lightly browned, about 5 minutes.
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6
If the mushrooms give off liquid, allow time for the juices to boil off before the mushrooms start to brown.
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7
Pour the tomatoes into the skillet, stir in the peas, and bring to a boil.
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8
Decrease heat so the sauce is at a lively simmer; season lightly with salt and pepper, and cook a minute or two.
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9
Stir in the stock and bring to a boil; cook until the sauce is lightly reduced and is perking like a little volcano, about 5 minutes.
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10
Pour in the cream and bring to a boil; spoon the ricotta into the sauce and stir gently to mix.
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11
If the skillet is large enough to hold the sauce and the pasta, fish the pasta out of the boiling water with a large wire skimmer and drop it directly into the sauce in the skillet.
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12
If not, drain the pasta, return it to the pot, and pour in the sauce.
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13
Bring the sauce and pasta to a boil, stirring gently to coat the pasta with the sauce.
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14
Remove from the heat and stir in 1 cup of grated cheese.
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15
Check the seasonings, adding salt and pepper if needed.
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16
Spoon the rigatoni into warm bowls and serve immediately, passing additional cheese separately if you like.
