Description
A rich, creamy pasta dish featuring savory Italian sausage, crushed tomatoes, and a silky Parmesan cream sauce. This weeknight-friendly meal delivers restaurant-quality flavor with simple ingredients and minimal effort.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound Italian sausage (sweet or hot), casings removed
- 12 ounces dried rigatoni pasta
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 can (14 ounces) crushed tomatoes
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Water for boiling pasta
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Season with about a tablespoon of salt.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and brown deeply, breaking it into chunks. Cook until done, then remove from pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons of fat.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant but not brown.
- Pour in crushed tomatoes. Simmer for 3-5 minutes to meld flavors and reduce slightly.
- Add rigatoni to boiling water. Cook until al dente, checking one minute before package directions. Reserve 1 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- Return sausage to the tomato sauce. Add cooked rigatoni to the skillet.
- Pour in heavy cream and about half of the reserved pasta water. Toss over medium heat for 2 minutes until sauce coats the pasta.
- Remove pan from heat. Stir in grated Parmesan cheese. Add more pasta water if needed for consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with fresh basil and serve immediately.
Notes
Use high-quality sausage with visible herbs. Reserve pasta water for emulsifying the sauce. Do not add cheese to a boiling pan to prevent seizing. For a lighter version, substitute half the cream with whole milk. For vegetarian option, swap sausage for chickpeas or mushrooms seasoned with fennel.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of the recipe
- Calories: 650
- Sugar: 6
- Sodium: 900
- Fat: 35
- Saturated Fat: 18
- Carbohydrates: 55
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 25
Keywords: rigatoni, italian sausage, creamy pasta, weeknight dinner, comfort food, easy pasta recipe, homemade dinner