Cavatelli with Sausage, Garlic, and Parmesan

1. Bring a pot of generously salted water to a boil for the pasta.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, sauté the garlic and red pepper flakes in 2 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp olive oil for 1 min until fragrant.
3. Add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces with your spatula, and sauté until cooked through; turn off the heat until the pasta is done boiling.
4. Boil dry pasta 2-3 mins less than package directions (or 3 mins total if using homemade pasta) and transfer it into the pan with the sauce (reserve the pasta water!).
5. Add 1 cup pasta water and turn the heat back on to medium; cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce reduces and thickens and pasta is your desired tenderness (add more pasta water ~1/4 cup at a time if needed).
6. Stir in 1 Tbsp more butter along with the parsley and turn off the heat; slowly stir in the parmesan until it melts into the sauce and gets creamy (if you need to loosen your sauce you can always add more pasta water).
7. Serve with freshly grated parmesan on top and enjoy!