Description
Creamy Sausage Rigatoni is a delicious and comforting Italian-inspired pasta dish featuring al dente rigatoni tossed in a rich and velvety sauce made from browned Italian sausage, sautéed onions and garlic, tomato paste, heavy cream, and Parmesan cheese, finished with fresh parsley for a burst of color and flavor. Ready in just 30 minutes, this hearty meal serves four and is perfect for a satisfying weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta
Sauce
- 1 lb Italian sausage (spicy or mild, casing removed)
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (adjust to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Cook the rigatoni: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water for later use.
- Brown the sausage: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it apart with a spoon as it cooks. Continue cooking until the sausage is browned and fully cooked through.
- Sauté onion and garlic: Push the cooked sausage to one side of the skillet. Add the diced onion to the empty side and sauté until it becomes translucent, about 4 minutes. Then add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add tomato paste: Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 1 minute, mixing it well with the sausage and aromatics to deepen the flavor.
- Simmer with cream: Pour in the heavy cream and stir until everything is well combined. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer gently for 5 minutes to thicken and meld the flavors.
- Toss pasta with sauce: Add the cooked rigatoni to the skillet and toss to evenly coat the pasta with the creamy sauce. Let it simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water if the sauce needs to be thinned.
- Finish and serve: Turn off the heat and stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the dish with chopped fresh parsley, season with salt and black pepper to taste, and serve hot.
Notes
- Use either spicy or mild Italian sausage depending on your heat preference.
- Reserving pasta water helps adjust sauce consistency without diluting flavor.
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream but the sauce will be less rich.
- Freshly grated Parmesan offers better melting and flavor compared to pre-grated cheese.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days and reheated gently on the stovetop.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Pasta
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: Creamy Sausage Rigatoni, Italian sausage pasta, creamy pasta sauce, quick pasta dinner, rigatoni recipe, one-pan pasta, comfort food pasta
