Description
This One Pot Sausage Rigatoni is a hearty and comforting Italian-inspired dish combining savory Italian sausage, tender rigatoni pasta, and fresh baby spinach all cooked together in a creamy tomato sauce. Prepared in a single pot, this recipe simplifies dinner time while delivering rich, satisfying flavors perfect for any weeknight meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat & Produce
- 1 pound Italian sausage, ground
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 5 oz bag of baby spinach
Pantry Items & Dairy
- ½ teaspoon dried basil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 28 ounce can kitchen ready ground peeled tomatoes (Pastene)
- 1 ½ cups water
- 8 ounces rigatoni pasta
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- Cook the sausage: Heat a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage to the hot pot and crumble it while cooking. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes until some pink still remains inside the meat, ensuring it’s partially cooked.
- Add the onions: Add the diced onions to the pot with the sausage. Stir to combine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until the onions soften slightly and start to become translucent.
- Season with garlic and basil: Stir in the minced garlic, dried basil, and kosher salt. Cook for 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant, stirring frequently to avoid burning.
- Add tomatoes, pasta, and water: Pour in the canned ground peeled tomatoes, rigatoni pasta, and water. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Let the mixture cook for 13 to 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom and to ensure even cooking. The pasta should be al dente at the end of this period.
- Finish with cream and spinach: Once the pasta is al dente, stir in the heavy cream until fully incorporated. Then add all the baby spinach to the pot and gently fold it in as it wilts down. Once the spinach is fully wilted, remove the pot from heat. Serve immediately, optionally garnished with fresh basil and grated parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Stir the pasta frequently during cooking to prevent it from sticking to the pot.
- You can substitute the Italian sausage with turkey sausage for a leaner version.
- Adjust the amount of heavy cream if you prefer a lighter or richer sauce.
- For extra flavor, garnish with fresh basil leaves and freshly grated Parmesan before serving.
