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Easy Sausage Rigatoni

Published: / Updated: / 60 Comments

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This easy sausage rigatoni recipe is made with everyday ingredients. Plenty of Italian sausage simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce makes the best easy dinner!

close-up of rigatoni and sausage pasta

Rigatoni with sausage is always a good idea! Ahh I love simple pasta recipes like this one. I made this a spicy sausage rigatoni recipe, but you can definitely stick to mild Italian sausage if you prefer. 

This one's great for busy weeknights. You can throw it together pretty fast, and most of the cooking is fairly hands-off. 

Italian sausage rigatoni in two bowls

Recipe notes:

  • The two types of canned tomatoes I suggest really determine how the sauce turns out. One needs to be much thicker than the other, so substitute with caution.
  • I always get people asking if they can substitute the heavy cream with something lighter. I don't recommend it in this recipe. The acidity of the tomatoes is likely to break the sauce if you don't use heavy cream. You can leave the cream out if you absolutely have to, but I love how cream takes the acidic edge off tomatoes and imparts a richness without having to add too much.
  • If your tomatoes are a bit sour, you can add it a little sugar (start with 1/2 teaspoon or so).
  • If you want to add a little heat, sprinkle in some red pepper flakes or use hot Italian sausage. 
  • Want to add a bit of wine to the sauce? No problem. I would simmer it a little longer, but the flavor would be amazing. 
  • You may sub the rigatoni with another kind of pasta.
extreme close-up of spicy sausage rigatoni
nom nom nom

This recipe is straight outta the quick and easy sausage pasta recipes section of the Salt & Lavender playbook... 😉

More pasta with sausage recipes you'll love:

Italian sausage and rigatoni pasta in two bowls

Questions about this Italian sausage rigatoni recipe? Talk to me in the comments below!

close-up of rigatoni and sausage pasta

Easy Sausage Rigatoni

This easy sausage rigatoni recipe is made with everyday ingredients. Plenty of Italian sausage simmered in a garlicky tomato sauce makes the best easy dinner!
4.91 from 20 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian American
Servings 4
Calories 761 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 8 ounces uncooked rigatoni
  • 16 ounces Italian sausage (spicy or mild) see note
  • 1/2 medium onion chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 (14 fluid ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
  • 1 (14 fluid ounce) can crushed tomatoes
  • 1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
  • Fresh basil, torn to taste (optional)
  • Salt & pepper to taste
  • Freshly grated parmesan cheese to taste

Instructions
 

  • Boil a salted pot of water for the pasta. Cook the rigatoni al dente according to package directions.
  • Meanwhile, sauté the sausage meat and onion over medium-high heat in a skillet until browned (about 8-10 minutes), stirring it occasionally.
  • Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  • Drain a bit of the fat from the pan (I just spoon it out). Don't worry about getting it all.
  • Add the canned tomatoes to the pan. Simmer the sauce for 10 minutes (you may need to turn the heat down a bit if it starts bubbling too furiously).
  • Stir in the cream, basil (if using), and season the sauce with salt & pepper as needed. Cook for another minute or two and then toss with the drained pasta.

Notes

  • For the sausages, anything around the 16 ounce/1 pound ballpark is fine - it doesn't need to be exact. Here in Canada I buy a 500g 5-pack of Johnsonville mild Italian sausages and take them out of the casings.
  • To get the consistency of the sauce just right, I suggest using the style of tomatoes I recommend (diced and crushed). I'd also be cautious about subbing the cream for anything else (e.g. milk or half-and-half) because the acidity of the tomatoes is likely to curdle it.
  • Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information.

Nutrition

Calories: 761kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 27gFat: 48gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 6gMonounsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 1114mgPotassium: 948mgFiber: 5gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 767IUVitamin C: 23mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Italian sausage rigatoni
Author Natasha Bull
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  1. Siobhàn says

    Hi Nathasha I will be trying a few of these recipes over Christmas, I do have a question I can purchase all mutti products here in Ireland , however I wonder when you say diced would they chopped can suffice ( I’m assuming it’s the same , also crushed , I can only get peeled in the mutti can so will I just crush myself , the peeled can looks like thicker consistency. Just want to get it right so apologies for the long message. Thank you in advance. Siobhàn

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! Yes, this recipe is quite flexible, so you should be fine. Chopped will work instead of diced. The crushed tomatoes here in North America are generally fairly thick. Yes, I would try the peeled and perhaps drain a bit of the liquid and then crush them yourself. Hope you enjoy the recipe, Siobhàn.

      Reply

  3. Cheryl says

    5 stars
    I really loved this recipe. I was kind of unsure about the heavy cream, but did everything per your recipe and it came out great. I might throw some add ins the next time, just to put my own spin on it, but the recipe is yum worthy as written - thanks so much for sharing!

    Reply

  4. Angela says

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! I make it fairly often with any sturdy pasta as it is quick and oh, so good. I leave out the cream as we prefer it. I often use both sweet Italian sausage, crumbled, and a few slices of spicy Italian sausage or a pinch of red pepper flakes. It’s a great way to use up the remainder of red and yellow bell peppers or the last couple of mushrooms, a handful of peas. Very versatile. Thanks for sharing the secret to the sauce; the 2 types if tomato really are the key.

    Reply

  5. Marianne says

    5 stars
    I used four links (15 oz.) rather than the whole package (19 oz.) and it seemed the perfect amount. The end result was very saucy so I think next time I might use a little more rigatoni. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis because of how easy, delicious and non-time consuming this was to prepare.
    Fantastic. Everyone loved it.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      I'm glad it was a hit!! Yup, you can definitely tweak the ingredients a little bit. Here in Canada the sausage size varies a bit... I recently realized the US packs are slightly larger (19 oz.) vs. the 500g (17.6 oz) we get. I think using a pound of sausage meat is probably the easiest way to do it for my US readers (I believe most US grocery stores sell just sausage meat in convenient 16 oz packs).. I am slowly going through my older recipes and updating them to say that since it's easier now that I'm aware USA sizes are different. But yeah, a little more or little less sausage won't typically break a recipe.

      Reply

  6. Kthom says

    5 stars
    Love love love this! Wanted to try something new. Tried to stick with the recipe but only using what I already had! I substituted the tomatoes for basil tomato sauce, skipped the onion and added the suggested crushed red pepper! My toddler and picky husband even loved it! Can’t wait to make again.

    Reply

  7. Ck says

    5 stars
    I LOVE this recipe! I make it exactly as follows, except I add a pinch of sugar and a little onion powder. I sent this to my mother and she makes it bi-weekly (I am NOT kidding!) 🤤

    Reply

  11. Erin Matthews says

    Can I make this sauce a day ahead of making the noodles/eating the dish? (Refrigerate sauce once it cools, then next day warm it and add to cooked noodles)

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Silk brand makes a dairy-free whipping cream you could try. I do also have some other pasta recipes on here with sausage and without cream. Just type "sausage pasta" into the search bar and see what pops up. 🙂

      Reply

  18. Eric says

    5 stars
    Great recipe! Easy to make and well explained steps. I added a little spice to it with the introduction of red pepper flakes. I replaced the canned diced tomatoes with Rotel Diced Tomatoes and Green Chilis. Will make again.

    Reply

  20. Nita Rush says

    This was awesome. Had my grandson for dinner and he's used to his Italian mother and grandmothers cooking. He loved this dish, so hats off to you for an easy, simple and delicious meal. Will definitely repeat!!

    Reply

  21. Sheila Lindhorst says

    5 stars
    Tell ya what... this recipe was GREAT!! WOW! What a great share..thank you:) I did sub the heavy cream with cream cheese, only because I forgot to pick up whipping cream at the store....but dang it was very very good!! 5 stars!;

    Reply

  22. Ashley says

    3 stars
    This recipe was overall good. I’m not too into tomatoes so I only used half a can of petite diced and drained all the juice from it I could. So then I used a cup of heavy cream with shredded/grated Parmesan to thicken. Used mild Italian and added red pepper flakes.

    Reply

  25. Janel says

    5 stars
    Wow! This is sooo delicious! Super easy and packed with so much flavor with just a few ingredients! Will repeat this for sure.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Hi! Hmm... pasta recipes in the IP can be tricky. I would have to do some testing. This is a pretty straightforward stove-top recipe, so I am not really sure what the benefit of cooking it in the IP would be?

      Reply

  28. Brette says

    I make this but your recipe sounds better. I will definitely try it. The sausage I get from a real Italian market is leaner and tastier than the packaged grocery-store variety and comes in mild or hot.

    Reply

    • Natasha says

      Mmmm I bet it is delicious!! I love my local Italian shop... I don't get there nearly enough. Let me know if you make this recipe 🙂

      Reply