Easy Sausage Rigatoni
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!
Servings: 4
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.
Nutrition
Calories: 761kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 48g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 1114mg | Potassium: 948mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 767IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 124mg | Iron: 4mg
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