Boil the pasta

• Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil with 2 tablespoons kosher salt.
• Cook 1 pound of rigatoni until al dente, about 8-10 minutes.
• Reserve some of the pasta water for later steps, then drain.

Brown the sausage

• Slice the smoked sausage into 1-inch pieces.
• In a large skillet on medium heat, add the oil.
• Once the oil is hot, add the sausage in small batches.
• Cook about 1-2 minutes on each side until well browned.
• Remove the sausage from the skillet and set aside.

Cook the vegetables

• In the same skillet, add the butter.
• Once melted, add the sliced onion and cook for about 1 minute.
• Add the red and green bell peppers with a pinch of salt and cook for another minute.
• Toss in the minced garlic and cook for a few seconds.

Build the sauce base

• Mix in the tomato paste and chicken broth and bring to a simmer.
• Scrape up the bits at the bottom of the skillet.

Add cream and spices

• Add the heavy cream and mix in well.
• Bring the cream to a simmer.
• Sprinkle in the salt, black pepper, garlic powder, cumin, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika and chili powder.
• Mix the spices in well.

Thicken the sauce

• Periodically stir and simmer for about 10 minutes to thicken the sauce.
• About halfway through, add the reserved pasta water and mix in.

Finish and serve

• Remove the sauce from the heat and let cool for a couple of minutes to continue to thicken.
• Mix in the Parmesan cheese.
• Toss in the cooked pasta and sausage.
• Sprinkle with Italian parsley and additional Parmesan cheese if desired.