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Rigatoni Pasta Recipe

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This sausage rigatoni pasta recipe comes together in about 20 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients. It's a hearty comfort food, perfect for an easy weeknight dinner the whole family will enjoy!

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
  • 1/2 cup pasta water
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 pound ground Italian sausage
  • 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup fresh chopped basil + more for garnish
  • shredded Parmesan for garnish
  • Kosher salt
  • black pepper

Instructions

  1. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve a 1/2 cup of pasta water to dress the pasta.
  2. While the pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-low heat.
  3. Add garlic and Italian seasoning and cook, stirring constantly, for 30-60 seconds. Don't let the garlic brown or burn!
  4. Add Italian sausage to the pan, turn heat to medium-high and cook, crumbling with a spatula until browned and cooked through.
  5. Stir in crushed tomatoes, heavy cream, basil, and a few large pinches of salt and pepper. Cook for a few minutes until warmed through.
  6. Add cooked rigatoni and a splash of pasta water. Toss to coat the pasta evenly in the sauce.
  7. Garnish with basil and Parmesan cheese and enjoy!
  8. If you loved this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating and review below!

Equipment

Notes

  • Don't overcook the pasta! Check the package directions and cook the pasta just until al dente. This ensures that when it's tossed with the warm sauce it holds up well and doesn't become mushy.

  • Save your pasta water! The best way to get pasta sauce to adhere to the pasta is to add a splash of pasta water. Don't worry about it thinning out the sauce though! If you add just a splash at a time, the starch is actually going to help thicken the sauce and make it cling to the pasta. This results in an evenly distributed sauce so you get a bit in each bite!

Nutrition

Find it online: https://midwestfoodieblog.com/rigatoni-pasta/