Easy Sausage Rigatoni

4.95 from 34 votes

This easy sausage rigatoni recipe is made with everyday ingredients but tastes like it came from a restaurant. It has Italian sausage simmered in a rich, garlicky tomato sauce!

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian American

Keyword: Italian sausage rigatoni

Servings:

Author: Natasha Bull

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 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
1/2 cup heavy/whipping cream
Fresh basil, torn optional but recommended, to taste
Salt & pepper to taste
Freshly grated parmesan cheese optional, 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. I break the sausage meat up before adding it to the skillet, and I like to keep it somewhat chunky for this recipe. You can use bulk ground sausage meat if you prefer.
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.

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