Creamy Italian Sausage Rigatoni (40-Minute Weeknight Pasta)
This Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta is a simple yet indulgent dish you’ll find yourself craving time and again. In just 40 minutes, you'll create a rich, velvety sauce packed with savory Italian sausage, perfectly paired with al dente rigatoni. The combination of bold flavors and hearty pasta makes this recipe a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 728.36kcal
Equipment
- Saucepan
Ingredients
- 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 yellow onion diced
- 1 pound Italian sausage casing removed
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon calabrian chili paste optional
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes drained
- ⅓ cup heavy cream or full-fat coconut milk
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Fresh basil for serving
- Grated parmesan cheese for serving
Instructions
- Boil water in a large pot and cook pasta according to package directions.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add the sausage to the pan and crumble while browning, for about 5 minutes. Add in the garlic, calabrian chili paste (if using) and tomato paste. Stir and allow to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes, turn the heat to low and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Pour in the heavy cream or coconut milk, stir and cook for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, season with salt and black pepper to taste and toss with the pasta. Serve with basil and parmesan cheese.
Video
Notes
- Rigatoni works best because the ridges hold onto the creamy sauce, but penne or fusilli work well too.
- Mild or spicy Italian sausage both work here, depending on how much heat you like.
- Calabrian chili paste adds the best depth of flavor, but red pepper flakes make a good substitute if that’s what you have.
- Freshly grated Parmesan melts more smoothly into the sauce and gives better flavor than pre-shredded cheese.
- Full-fat canned coconut milk works best for the dairy-free version and won’t leave a strong coconut flavor.
- Save a little pasta water before draining it in case you need to loosen the sauce at the end.
- Fresh basil adds the best flavor right before serving, but parsley works if needed.
- This pasta is best served fresh while the sauce is still smooth and creamy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1Serving | Calories: 728.36kcal | Carbohydrates: 50.13g | Protein: 25.13g | Fat: 47.15g | Saturated Fat: 18.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5.6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20.73g | Cholesterol: 108.59mg | Sodium: 935.08mg | Potassium: 615.33mg | Fiber: 2.83g | Sugar: 5.1g | Vitamin A: 483.49IU | Vitamin C: 8.18mg | Calcium: 59.68mg | Iron: 2.59mg
