Entirely Elizabeth

0 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the cavatappi pasta and cook according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve a ½ cup of pasta water, and do not rinse the pasta after it is drained.
4 Meanwhile, cook the ground Italian sausage in a large skilled until crumbled and browned (5 to 6 minutes). Transfer the fully cooked sausage to a plate and set aside. NOTE: If there is a lot of excess grease, remove all but 1 tablespoon before moving on.
5 In the same pan, melt the unsalted butter. Add and sauté the sliced mushrooms, diced onion, and diced green bell pepper until softened.
1 Add the minced garlic and fresh thyme, cook for another minute until fragrant.
7 Pour in the ½ cup pasta water and heavy whipping cream, allow the sauce to come to a rolling boil and reduce by half. 
6 Add the browned Italian sausage, pasta, and grated parmesan cheese. Toss together until the sauce coats the pasta.
3 Remove skillet from heat, season with salt and black pepper. Once plated, garnish with more fresh thyme and parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.