Description
Hearty sausage rigatoni brings Italian comfort straight to kitchen tables with rich, robust flavors. Pasta lovers will savor each perfectly balanced bite of this classic comfort dish that combines spicy sausage and silky cream sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients:
- 1 pound (453 grams) Italian sausage, casings removed
- 12 ounces (340 grams) rigatoni pasta
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for garnish
Aromatics and Seasonings:
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds (optional for extra flavor)
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Liquids and Additional Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ cup tomato paste
- 1 cup chicken broth
- Fresh parsley or basil, chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Prepare a large pot with generously salted water and bring to a rolling boil. Submerge rigatoni and cook until perfectly tender, following package guidelines. Carefully extract pasta, preserving a portion of starchy cooking liquid.
- Warm olive oil in a spacious skillet over medium temperature. Sauté finely diced onions until translucent and softened. Introduce crumbled Italian sausage, breaking into bite-sized fragments while browning thoroughly. Optional: eliminate excess rendered fat.
- Incorporate minced garlic, crushed fennel seeds, and fiery red pepper flakes into the meat mixture. Allow aromatics to bloom briefly before introducing tomato paste. Deglaze pan with rich chicken broth, creating a vibrant base that reduces and concentrates flavors.
- Lower heat and gently swirl in velvety heavy cream, permitting sauce to thicken luxuriously. Modulate consistency by gradually introducing reserved pasta water, creating a silky, clingy texture that embraces pasta perfectly.
- Transfer rigatoni directly into sauce, ensuring each tube becomes thoroughly coated. Sprinkle freshly grated Parmesan, stirring to integrate. Calibrate seasoning with salt and cracked pepper. Finish with an elegant garnish of additional cheese and chopped fresh herbs, presenting a restaurant-quality dish bursting with robust flavors.
Notes
- Choose spicy or mild Italian sausage based on personal heat preference, allowing customization for different taste buds.
- Reserved pasta water acts as a magical sauce thickener and helps create silky, clingy texture without breaking the cream base.
- Consider removing sausage casings before cooking for smoother meat integration and more consistent flavor distribution throughout the dish.
- Swap heavy cream with half-and-half or whole milk for lighter version, reducing overall calorie content while maintaining creamy consistency.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 610
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 35 g
- Saturated Fat: 15 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 20 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 53 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg