Creamy Rigatoni with Italian Sausage

Name: Creamy Rigatoni with Italian Sausage
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 lb Italian sausage; 1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil; 1/4 cup red onion, diced; 6-7 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped; 4 cups chicken broth; 1 cup marinara sauce; 12 oz rigatoni pasta; 1 cup heavy cream; 2 cups chopped spinach; red pepper flakes, to taste; Italian seasoning, to taste; salt, to taste; black pepper, to taste; 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

This creamy rigatoni combines Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and spinach in a single pot, delivering restaurant-quality results in under 30 minutes with minimal cleanup.

🌍Italian-American 🏷️One-pot pasta 🏷️Creamy rigatoni 🏷️Italian sausage 🏷️Pasta Weeknight dinner

🏷️

🏷️30-minute meal

-0:00

TikTok

Total

30 min

Servings

4

Difficulty

Easy

Est. Cost

$31–$51

Recipe Source

View original recipe

From TikTok

-0:00

TikTok

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb Italian sausage
1 tbsp sun-dried tomato oil
1/4 cup red onion, diced
6-7 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup marinara sauce
12 oz rigatoni pasta
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chopped spinach
red pepper flakes, to tasteoptional
Italian seasoning, to taste
salt, to taste
black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

17 Ingredients

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Instructions

1
In a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add the Italian sausage and brown it, breaking it up with a spoon.
2
Remove the cooked sausage from the pot and set it aside.
3
In the same pot, add the sun-dried tomato oil. Sauté the diced red onion and minced garlic for a few minutes until fragrant.
4
Stir in the tomato paste and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
5
Add the chopped sun-dried tomatoes and stir to combine.
6
Pour in the chicken broth and marinara sauce, and stir everything together.
7
Add the dry rigatoni pasta to the pot and stir.
8
Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover the pot and cook for about 15 minutes, or until the pasta is al dente, stirring occasionally.
9
Stir in the heavy cream and chopped spinach until the spinach has wilted.
10
Season with red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper to taste.
11
Turn off the heat. Slowly stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese until it's melted and the sauce is smooth.
12
Add the cooked sausage back into the pot and stir to combine everything.

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Tips & Notes

Pro tips

Brown the sausage fully before aromatics to render fat and develop deep flavor; break it into small pieces for even cooking.
Toast tomato paste in oil for 1–2 minutes before adding liquid to eliminate raw flour taste and deepen umami.
Add pasta directly to the pot undrained if using salted boiling water; the starch helps build creaminess naturally.
Taste and season at the end; sun-dried tomatoes and marinara are already salty, so go slow with additional salt.

Substitutions

Chicken broth → vegetable broth (neutral flavor works; omit if on low-sodium diet)
Sun-dried tomato oil → olive oil + 1 tsp balsamic vinegar (replaces slight acidity and richness)
Marinara sauce → heavy cream + 1 tsp dried basil (lighter, less tangy finish)
Spinach → kale (add 2 minutes earlier) or arugula (stir in at end for peppery note)