Italian Sausage Rigatoni

Weeknight meals should always be easy and flavorful. That's what we did with this easy Italian Sausage Rigatoni recipe. We use an array of spices and household pantry staples to bring this delicious meal to fruition.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian, Mediterranean

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 25

Total Time 40

Servings servings

Calories 526kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Ingredients

12 oz uncooked rigatoni
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup yellow onion diced
1 cup celery diced
1 cup carrots diced
1 lb Italian sausage
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes add more if you want more heat (my kids don't handle spice well, so I always keep it dialed back for them).
1 teaspoon paprika regular or smoked paprika
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 teaspoon chicken better than bouillon
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
4 cups baby spinach chopped and loosely packed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large dutch over or pot set over medium heat add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot add the onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Add the Italian sausage to the pot. Using a wooden spoon, break the meat up into small pieces. Continue cooking until the meat is fully browned.
While the meat is browning bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 1-2 tablespoons of salt to the water then add the rigatoni. Cook until 1 minute under al dente. Drain the water and set pasta aside while you're continuing with the recipe.
Once the meat is browned stir in the minced garlic, Italian seasoning, onion powder, fennel seeds, crushed red pepper flakes, and paprika. Give it a good stir then add the tomato paste. Stir the tomato paste frequently and cook for 3-4 minutes or until it darkens in color.
Add water and the better than bouillon. Stir and bring to a simmer. Once the water has reduced by half stir in the cream and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring frequently until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the chopped spinach and pasta. Toss until the noodles are coated in the delicious sauce. Serve with parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

Make Ahead: This is definitely one of those recipes that tastes better the next day as the flavors continue to meld together. Make it at the beginning of the week and enjoy leftovers for 3-4 days, or simply make the sauce a day or two in advance and cook up fresh pasta to add to it before serving.

Storing: Store leftover Italian sausage rigatoni in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing cooked pasta as it tends to get mushy when it thaws. However, I think you could freeze the sauce in a freezer-safe container or zip top bag for up to 2 months. Allow the sauce to cool completely to room temperature, then cool it in the fridge before transferring it to a freezer container. The sauce may separate a bit upon thawing but I think should come back together if you stir it.

Nutrition