Description
Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta is a comforting and flavorful dish featuring rigatoni pasta tossed in a rich, creamy sauce with mild Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach, and parmesan cheese. This easy skillet recipe combines savory sausage and aromatic spices with a luscious cream sauce for a hearty meal ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- ¾ pound rigatoni pasta
- Salt, for pasta water
Sausage and Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ pound mild Italian sausage
- ¾ cup small diced yellow onion
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ¾ teaspoon Italian seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Cream Sauce
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1¾ cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes (packed in herbed olive oil, oil drained from an 8.5-ounce jar)
- 1½ cups shredded parmesan cheese
- 3 cups lightly packed baby spinach (from a 5-ounce container)
Garnish
- Chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the rigatoni pasta for 9-11 minutes until al dente or according to package directions. Drain the pasta and set aside while you prepare the rest of the dish.
- Cook the Sausage Mixture: Preheat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, mild Italian sausage, diced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes to the skillet.
- Sauté the Sausage and Vegetables: Cook the mixture for 9-11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is golden brown and the onions and spices become soft and fragrant.
- Drain Excess Grease: Transfer the cooked sausage mixture onto a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any excess grease, then discard the paper towel before returning the sausage to the skillet.
- Prepare the Roux: Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the unsalted butter to the skillet. Once melted, whisk in the all-purpose flour until combined, cooking the mixture for about 1 minute or until it turns a light golden brown.
- Add Liquids for the Sauce: Slowly whisk in the chicken broth until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps. Then whisk in the heavy cream and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring the sauce to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Incorporate Cheese and Spinach: Gradually stir in the shredded parmesan cheese until fully melted and incorporated. Next, add the baby spinach and stir until the leaves are fully wilted and evenly mixed throughout the sauce.
- Combine Pasta and Sausage: Add the reserved sausage mixture and cooked rigatoni pasta back into the skillet. Stir everything thoroughly to ensure the pasta is nicely coated with the creamy sauce. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Garnish and Serve: Sprinkle chopped fresh parsley over the top for a fresh pop of flavor and color before serving your creamy Italian sausage pasta.
Notes
- Ensure the pasta is drained well to prevent the sauce from becoming watery.
- Use mild Italian sausage for a gentle flavor; substitute with spicy sausage if you prefer more heat.
- The sun-dried tomatoes packed in herbed olive oil add depth of flavor, but if unavailable, use plain sun-dried tomatoes with a bit of olive oil added.
- Reserve some pasta water if needed to thin the sauce later.
- This dish reheats well and can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- For a lighter version, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream or reduce the amount of cheese.
