Sausage Rigatoni Pasta

Learn how to whip up a delicious and hearty sausage rigatoni meal in just 30 minutes with this easy recipe. Perfect for busy weeknights!

Course dinner, main meal pasta

Cuisine Italian, Italian American

Keyword how do you make sausage rigatoni, how to make sausage rigatoni, rigatoni and sausage, rigatoni with sausage, sausage and rigatoni pasta

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 25

Servings

Calories 567kcal

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the pasta and cook al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, Drain the pasta well.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, over medium heat brown the Italian sausage. About halfway through the browning process, add the onion. Cook until the sausage is browned and the onion is soft. Drain any excess grease from the skillet.
Reduce the heat to low, add the garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for 1 minute
Add the crushed tomatoes and red pepper flakes and simmer for 8-10 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and the cooked pasta.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Season to taste. If you like a lot of garlic, add a couple more minced cloves. Or, if you like the heat, turn it up with more crushed red pepper.
Reserve a cup of the pasta water. The starchy water is great for thinning sauce if it is too thick. Just add a little at a time.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. My husband always says 4 days, but I am a play-it-safe kind of person. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.