Italian Sausage Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce
Italian sausage rigatoni with a spicy tomato cream sauce is an easy, hearty, weeknight meal full of flavor and comfort.
Control the heat to please your pallet. Use spicy Italian sausage if you want to kick the heat up or use sweet to keep it mild.
Fire-roasted tomatoes and pancetta add layers of extra soul-warming flavor.
Try our Bread Pudding!
Italian Sausage Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce Video
How To Make Italian Sausage Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce
Cook the rigatoni according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking, brown the Italian Sausage and pancetta in a large skillet over medium-high heat until no longer pink.
Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside.
In the same skillet saute the onion until translucent, add the garlic and saute one minute.
Add the fire-roasted tomatoes and white wine. Simmer and reduce the liquid to about half.
Lower the heat, stir in the cream, spinach, salt, pepper, crushed red peppers, Italian sausage, and pancetta. Cook until the cream is heated through and spinach is wilted.
Add the Parmesan and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly.
Drain the pasta, add the sauce to the pasta saucepan (or vice versa), stir to coat the pasta, serve and enjoy!
Comfort food at it’s BEST!
Ugh, I’m drooling as I write this post! Must put this on the menu asap.
Now, let’s talk bread. Nothing beats a loaf of fresh baked bread to go with this dish. If you have time, you have to check out our Sourdough bread recipe! We worked on it for two years before we finally published it.
If you’re in a rush but still want that artisanal bread, check out our no-knead skillet bread or our no knead dutch oven bread. Gotta have that bread!!
We also have a great Sheet Pan Eggplant Parmesan and a Chicken Spaghetti if you’re looking for something a bit different!
Italian Sausage Rigatoni with Spicy Tomato Cream Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 oz rigatoni
- 12 oz Italian sausage
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 4 oz Pancetta cubed
- 1/2 medium onion diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1/4 cup white wine or stock of your choice
- 14.5 oz fire-roasted tomatoes (1 can)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups fresh baby spinach
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
- 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt the water. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. While the pasta is cooking begin the sauce.
- In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the Italian sausage and pancetta. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate, set aside.
- Add the onion, saute until translucent. Add the garlic and saute another minute.
- Add the wine and fire-roasted tomatoes, simmer and reduce the liquid by half.
- Lower the heat, stir in the cream, spinach, salt, pepper, crushed red peppers, Italian sausage, and pancetta. Simmer until the cream is heated and the spinach is wilted. Add the Parmesan cheese and simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Drain the pasta, pour the sauce over and stir to coat evenly.
- Serve immediately.
I am planning on making this for my kids when they fly in for Christmas tomorrow! Looks so good!
Hey Joann! They are gonna love this dish, it’s crazy delish!
Can you something in place of cream?
It’s a tomato cream sauce, so I can only suggest maybe half and half.
Carol, we’ve been in the middle of the Texas snow storm and you can’t get any dairy products. Going into the storm I had a qt. Of heavy cream but by day 11, it is gone. I used full fat evaporated milk and it worked just fine.
Italian sausage is one of my favorite flavors! This recipe looks and sounds so good. I will be featuring it on this week’s Party in Your PJ’s. Thank you for linking up. Pinned and shared!
Thank you so much, Teresa!
I love recipes like this. Proper comfort food knocked up in a jiffy.
xx
Thank you for sharing on the Whisk It Wednesday Link Party at Carrie’s Home Cooking. Tomorrow when the new party begins you will be featured. I hope to see you there tomorrow! Cheers~ Carrie
Outstanding recipe we just made more sauce than it called for
I made this last night and everyone loved it. Really excellent flavors and so simple. Thank you for sharing!
Hi, Jill! Thank you so much for coming by to tell us how much you liked the recipe!!! Always makes our day to hear from our readers. 🙂
I am back to your site to write this recipe down and add to my recipe box. This a compliment as I rarely do this. I made this dish for my children at Christmas, they loved it! I used spicy Italian Sausage and omitted the red pepper flakes. My sister is coming to town and I want to make it for her (mostly, so I can eat it again). Thanks for a tasty recipe!
Thank you so much, Joann! I hope your sister enjoys the dish. 😉
Is there anyway to make this recipe healthier? Looks really good, but very high in salt,carbs,calories.
Ed, sometimes you just gotta give in and be decadent. 😉 It’s a pasta dish so you are going to have a lot of carbs. I guess if you just have to make it a little healthier, leave out the pancetta. Sub half and half for the heavy cream, cut out the kosher salt. But I cannot guarantee it’s going to taste as good as the recipe is written. Thanks for dropping by!
How do I get your site on my email?
Rose, we’re presently between email subscription providers. I have added you to our subscriber list and will receive emails of new recipes once we start sending them out again. Thanks!
This is going right on my weekend recipe list. Just need the fire-roasted tomatoes 🙂
🙂 We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!!! Thank you so much for coming by.
Made this yesterday, sooo good!!
Super easy and delicious!!
Waiting for my daughter. Have not seen her for 6 months. This is the special dish I made. Looks and smells great. Family and good food.
Can you make this ahead of time and reheat it it?
Hi, Melissa. I find that this dish does not reheat very well. Thanks for coming by!
Hi! What stock would you recommend (I can’t have wine right now)? 🙂
Sara, I would use chicken stock.
Can you make this ahead of time?
Hi, Rachel. I don’t recommend making this ahead of time.
This was a “two thumbs up” dinner tonight! It was so easy to make. Will definitely be making this one again! Thank you.
Great Meal! We have made this dish several times and my family eats it up every time. So Yummy!
didnt use the wine or the pancetta.. subbed just pasta water and went with sausage alone. flippin INSANELY good!!
I whipped this up tonight for my crew & received a thumbs up from everyone! Great meal to pull together for a weeknight!
I made this for my husband, he absolutely loved it! I will definitely be making it again!
Made it last night…excellent! Huge hit with the family, quick and easy. I will serve it for a dinner party as well.
Planning on making tonight; going to add some gouda!
I made this tonight. I used half Hot Italian sausage and half sweet Italian sausage. Made the recipe exactly as stated. I took a picture and I have never really posted when I make things. He loved it! He said post it. I can’t figure out how to post the picture! Great recipe!
Last minute dinner, found this recipe. OMG!!! So good. I didn’t have fire roasted stewed tomatoes so I just added a little bit of liquid smoke. Definitely one of my faves!
Fantastic! I followed the directions as stated and added a little pasta water at the end as the sauce was pretty thick. My family loved it and will definitely make again. Thank you!
Awesome! Glad you and yours enjoyed it!
Do you drain the can of fire-roasted tomatoes?
No, just pour it all in. Thanks!
This pasta dish is so delicious and super easy to create.
Taste better than what you would get in and Italian Restaurant.
Crusty Bread and a green salad makes it a wonderful dinner for company.
Oh my goodness – this was delicious! I will definitely make this again. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Made this twice so far. Love it!
Delicious as well as quick and easy