Description
A luscious and comforting Creamy Sausage Rigatoni with fresh spinach, garlic, and cherry tomatoes in a rich tomato cream sauce, perfect for a hearty weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- 12 oz (340g) rigatoni pasta
Meat
- 1 lb (450g) Italian sausage (mild or spicy, based on preference)
Vegetables & Herbs
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
- 5 oz (140g) fresh spinach
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (optional garnish)
Dairy
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Liquids & Oils
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
Seasonings
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: Begin by cooking the rigatoni pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Brown the Sausage: In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks, until browned and cooked through. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon and set it aside, leaving the oil and any rendered fat in the skillet.
- Sauté Aromatics: In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and chopped onion. Sauté until the onion becomes translucent and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes.
- Cook Tomatoes: Add the cherry tomatoes to the skillet, cooking until they start to soften and release their juices, roughly 3 minutes.
- Make the Sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and chicken broth, stirring to combine. Add the Italian seasoning, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let the sauce simmer for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly.
- Add Spinach: Add the fresh spinach to the skillet, stirring until it wilts into the sauce.
- Combine Sausage: Return the cooked sausage to the skillet, ensuring it’s evenly distributed throughout the sauce.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the cooked rigatoni pasta to the skillet, tossing everything together to coat the pasta with the creamy sauce.
- Add Cheese: Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese over the mixture, stirring to melt and integrate the cheese into the sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh basil, if desired, before serving.
Notes
- For a spicier dish, use spicy Italian sausage instead of mild.
- You can substitute rigatoni with penne or any other tubular pasta.
- Heavy cream can be replaced with half-and-half for a lighter version but the sauce will be less rich.
- Fresh basil adds a nice aroma, but dried basil can be used if fresh is unavailable.
- To make it gluten-free, substitute rigatoni with gluten-free pasta.
