Description
This Creamy Italian Sausage Pasta is a rich and flavorful dish perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner. Featuring tender rigatoni pasta tossed in a luscious cream sauce with mildly spiced Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh baby spinach, it delivers a perfectly balanced combination of savory and tangy flavors with a touch of heat. The sauce is made from scratch using butter, flour, chicken broth, and heavy cream, topped with shredded Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley for a delicious finish.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta
- ¾ pound rigatoni pasta
- Salt (for pasta water)
Sausage and Flavor Base
- 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
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: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni pasta and cook for 9-11 minutes or according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside while preparing the sauce.
- Prepare the Sausage Mixture: Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil, then the mild Italian sausage, diced onion, minced garlic, Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 9-11 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned and the onions and spices are soft and fragrant.
- Drain Excess Grease: Remove sausage mixture from the skillet onto a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess grease. Discard the paper towel and return sausage to the skillet.
- Make the Roux: Lower heat to medium-low. Add the unsalted butter to the skillet and melt it. Sprinkle the all-purpose flour over the melted butter and whisk continuously until the flour is absorbed and the mixture turns light golden brown, about 1 minute.
- Prepare the Cream Sauce: Gradually whisk in the chicken broth to prevent lumps. Then whisk in the heavy cream and sun-dried tomatoes. Bring the mixture to a low boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 5-7 minutes until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, stirring frequently to avoid clumping or burning.
- Add Cheese and Spinach: Stir in the shredded Parmesan cheese until smooth and fully incorporated. Then add the baby spinach and stir gently until the leaves wilt completely.
- Combine Pasta and Sausage: Add the cooked rigatoni pasta and reserved sausage back into the skillet. Stir well to combine and ensure the pasta is evenly coated with the creamy sauce.
- Finish and Serve: Remove from heat and garnish with a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Notes
- For a spicier kick, use hot Italian sausage instead of mild.
- Sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil add more flavor; drain the oil to avoid a greasy sauce.
- You can substitute rigatoni with penne or ziti if preferred.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for best melting and flavor.
- To make the dish lighter, substitute half-and-half for heavy cream but the sauce will be less rich.
