Description
A comforting and creamy pasta dish featuring rigatoni, Italian sausage, and a savory cream sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 pound Italian sausage (beef or chicken)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 cup spinach (fresh or frozen)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Start by cooking the rigatoni according to package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Make sure to stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Once cooked al dente, drain the pasta, reserving about a cup of pasta water for later.
- While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the Italian sausage, breaking it up with a spatula as it cooks. Brown it for about 5-7 minutes until it’s no longer pink and has a nice golden color.
- Once the sausage is ready, toss in the minced garlic and chopped onion. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until the onion turns translucent and fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream, stirring to combine. Sprinkle in the Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and allow it to thicken slightly for about 3-5 minutes.
- Now, stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until it melts into the creamy sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, gradually add some of the reserved pasta water.
- Fold in the spinach, cooking it just until wilted.
- Finally, add the drained rigatoni to the skillet, tossing everything together until the pasta is well coated in the creamy sauce. Garnish with fresh parsley.
Notes
For lighter options, consider using half-and-half instead of heavy cream or plant-based sausage for a vegetarian twist.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 22g
- Cholesterol: 70mg