Sausage Rigatoni is a hearty, easy-to-make dish with common ingredients. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and features pasta in a creamy sauce with soft spinach and Italian sausage.
We love a good sausage and pasta recipe — try these recipes next: Creamy Sausage Pasta or this creamy Sausage Tortellini Soup.
Sausage Rigatoni
Sausage Rigatoni is the ideal dish when you’re in the mood for something warm and filling. This pasta is delicious, feels fancy, and is just like something you’d get at a restaurant — we absolutely love it!
Plus, it’s a fantastic meal to serve to guests. It’s tasty and looks impressive, yet it’s easy to prepare, making it stress-free for the host. You can even get most of it ready beforehand. More on this soon!
Shortcuts
Sausage Rigatoni Shortcuts
This recipe is easy, but requires a bit of chopping upfront. Below I’ve got a few shortcut ideas to help save some time in the kitchen.
- Pick up pre-chopped veggies. Most stores sell pre-chopped veggies in the produce section. If you’re in a hurry, grab those fresh-chopped veggies, or you can even use frozen veggies—found near other frozen veggies in the store.
- Or, use a food processor to quickly chop those veggies!
- Use jarred garlic or a garlic press.
Sausage Rigatoni Ingredients
A few ingredients worth going into detail on:
- Low-sodium chicken broth: It’s important to use a low or reduced-sodium chicken broth so the final dish doesn’t end up too salty. There is a good deal of salt in the dish between the sausage, pasta/reserved pasta water, and Parmesan cheese so we want to limit it in the broth.
- Italian-style ground sausage: Choose either mild or spicy sausage based on your preference — both types work well. Sausage comes in various package sizes. We use 1 pound, but if you have a 19-ounce package, you can use the whole thing for a meatier sauce. If using Italian sausages with casings, remove the casings before cooking.
- Tomato paste: While you might think about using different types of canned tomatoes in Sausage Rigatoni, it’s best to use tomato paste. This is because tomato paste is very concentrated. It’s made by cooking tomatoes for hours to reduce their liquid, making it ideal for adding lots of tomato flavor without extra liquid to the sauce.
Variations
Variations
- Add Heat: For more spice, use spicy Italian sausage. For less spice, choose mild or sweet sausage. Serve red pepper flakes on the side for those who want extra heat.
- Swap Pasta: Rigatoni works best, but you can use ziti or penne instead.
- Add White Wine: Replace white wine vinegar with 1/2 cup of Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc for a restaurant-like flavor. Cook it off just like chicken broth.
- Use Heavy Cream: Avoid swapping heavy cream. Alternatives like half-and-half or milk might curdle due to the tomato paste’s acidity. Heavy cream balances this and makes the sauce rich and thick.
Sausage Rigatoni Tips
- Salt the pasta water:Make sure to salt the rigatoni water well as it cooks, as this adds flavor to the pasta, the pasta water, and the whole dish. Add the salt when the water boils, and wait for it to boil again before putting in the pasta.
- It’s easy to go on autopilot and dump in the whole package of rigatoni, but with the entire package, we didn’t feel there was enough sauce!
- The final step of mixing the sausage cream sauce, hot pasta, and pasta water well is a key Italian pasta trick. It’s called emulsifying, and it makes the sauce smooth and tasty, sticking nicely to the pasta.
- Increase the sauce to personal preference: Sometimes the pasta absorbs more sauce or you just want an extra saucy meal, so don’t be afraid to add in a few splashes of the reserved pasta water until the sauce is exactly how you like it!
Storage
Sausage Rigatoni Storage
Sausage Rigatoni is best enjoyed right after cooking. Leftovers can be kept but may need extra chicken stock when reheating. Avoid freezing, as the pasta can get mushy.
Make Ahead: You can prepare the sauce 3-5 days in advance. When ready to serve, heat the sauce and add more cream or chicken broth if needed. Cook the pasta fresh, mix it with the sauce, and enjoy!
Quick Tip
Do you struggle to remember to pull out pasta water before draining the pasta? Here’s a trick: Place a strainer in the sink with a mug or heat-safe measuring cup in the center. When you go to drain, you’ll be reminded to pull out some water first!
More favorite pasta dishes
- Creamy Chicken Pasta with mushrooms and creamy cheese
- Chicken Pasta kid-friendly
- Zucchini Pasta Sauce with sweet corn
- Chicken Pot Pie Pasta made in one pot!
- Mexican Street Corn Pasta Salad with a creamy chili-lime dressing
Sausage Rigatoni
Sausage Rigatoni is a hearty, 30-minute dish with pasta, creamy sauce, tender spinach, and savory Italian sausage—easy, comforting, and delicious!
Equipment
- Large pot
- Large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven
Ingredients
- 3-1/4 cups uncooked rigatoni pasta 9 ounces, not entire package
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion see note 1
- 1 cup finely diced celery
- 1 cup finely diced carrots
- Salt and pepper
- 1 pound Italian sausage see note 2
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic 4 cloves
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds see note 3
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoon paprika
- 5 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar optional—see note 4
- 1 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup heavy cream I don’t recommend substituting
- 4 cups coarsely chopped, loosely packed baby spinach
- Toppings as desired see note 5
Instructions
- Dice the onion, carrot, and celery (you can do this quickly in a food processor). Dice garlic, measure out seasonings, and set out the rest of the ingredients.
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and generously salt the water. Set a large colander in the sink with a glass mug in the center (so you don’t forget to grab some pasta water before draining). Once salted water is boiling, add rigatoni (not the whole box, just 3-1/4 cups!) and cook according to package directions, draining pasta 1 minute before directed. Before draining, pull out a mugful of water, then drain. Do not rinse.
- Meanwhile, add the olive oil to a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven; heat to medium-high. Add carrot, onion, and celery. Season to taste. (I add 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper.) Cook, stirring occasionally, until becoming soft, about 5–7 minutes. Add sausage and cook, crumbling as you go, until browned through. Add garlic, seasonings, and tomato paste. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I add 1/4 teaspoon each again.) Cook, stirring constantly, until very fragrant and tomato paste begins to darken, about 3–5 minutes. Reduce heat if anything is burning.
- Add vinegar and stir until evaporated. Add chicken broth—it should sizzle and boil. Cook until mostly all is evaporated. Reduce heat to low and add cream. Mix and allow sauce to come to a low simmer. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 more minutes.
- Add coarsely chopped spinach and pasta. Use tongs to vigorously toss the sauce with the cooked pasta. If needed, slowly add the reserved pasta water to thin the sauce until the sauce clings nicely to the pasta. Taste and season if needed with additional salt. Serve with a generous sprinkle of Parmesan, red pepper flakes if desired (for some heat!), and fresh herbs, if using.
Video
Recipe Notes
Note 1: Mirepoix: Save time by dicing veggies in a food processor, or use pre-made mirepoix (sometimes called soup starter). Most stores sell pre-chopped mirepoix in the produce section. You can even use frozen mirepoix–found near other frozen veggies in the store.
Note 2: Sausage can come in different-sized packages—as long as you’re close to 1 pound, this recipe will work fine. If using sausages with casings, remove the casings before cooking. If sausage doesn't leave behind 2 tablespoons grease, add 2 tablespoons olive oil.
Note 3: For a stronger fennel flavor, use up to 2 teaspoons. Measure and crush the seeds (mortar and pestle or pound in a bag with the bottom of a frying pan) and add in. Ground fennel is stronger, so you’ll need less. You may want to increase other seasonings a bit if you can’t find fennel.
Note 4: Vinegar adds nice acidity when paired with chicken broth. If you’d like to use wine instead, leave out the vinegar and replace 1/2 cup chicken broth with a white wine like a Chardonnay or Sauvignon blanc. Be sure to cook it off like the chicken broth is cooked off. (You’ll still add the other 1/2 cup chicken broth after adding the wine.)
Note 5: Optional Toppings: Parmesan cheese, fresh herbs (like thyme, parsley, or basil), and red pepper flakes.
Storage: This dish is best enjoyed right after cooking. You can store leftovers but may need extra chicken stock when reheating. Avoid freezing; the pasta can get mushy.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 608kcal | Carbohydrates: 55.1g | Protein: 20.2g | Fat: 34.1g | Cholesterol: 73.3mg | Sodium: 919.8mg | Fiber: 3.1g | Sugar: 3.7g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I made this tonight and my husband and I both loved it! I didn’t have any celery, so I threw in some mushrooms instead and it worked out great! Thanks for the clear, detailed instructions and fabulous recipe!
Yum! I am so happy you enjoyed! Thanks Susan! 🙂
This was insanely delicious – thank you so much for the recipe! I used half spicy sausage and half mild, and did add red pepper – the spiciness was important, we thought. My husband and I also thought it would have been delicious even with a bit less cream. But totally a winner!
The spice is the best if you’re a spice lover, right?! Thank you so much Andrea, thrilled to hear it was a hit!
Once again Chelsea !!!.,, you have created another spectacular dish !!! I made this with hot sausage and substituted 3/4 cup of half and half for the cream. You rock !!
Thank you so much Victoria! It makes my day to hear this!