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If you have 5 ingredients and 15 minutes, you can have a hearty, delicious platter of Rigatoni with Sausage on the table for dinner tonight.
This Rigatoni with Sausage recipe is quick, easy, and delicious. Pair flavorful Italian sausage (with plenty of herbs and spices already inside) with bright fire-roasted tomatoes, fresh basil, a touch of heavy cream for richness, and some chewy pasta.
Because each ingredient brings flavor and texture, you only need the 5 things (and about 15 minutes) for a dinner that tastes better than what you can get in a restaurant.
And the yield is generous too! You’ll get about 12 cups of pasta with sausage and plenty of cream sauce to go around.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: The fire-roasted aspect adds more flavor, but this recipe is also delicious with standard diced tomatoes.
- Basil: To chiffonade the fresh basil leaves, stack several basil leaves on top of each other and roll tightly. While holding the roll of leaves tightly, slice crosswise, cutting the roll into very thin strips or ribbons.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat if desired.
- Stir in tomatoes and their juice and basil and cook until juices are heated through, about 3 minutes longer.
- Stir in heavy cream and simmer 3 minutes.
- Add pasta and toss to coat, then season to taste with salt. Garnish with more fresh basil leaves if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 cups of pasta, enough for 6 entrée-sized servings, 2 cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Complete your Italian Feast: For a fully immersive Italian menu, start with a fresh and colorful Antipasto Platter or a large bowl of Bruschetta. Add a classic Caesar Salad or a piping hot bowl of Italian Wedding Soup and a side of buttery, crisp Garlic Bread. Serve White Sangria on the side for sipping, and finish your meal with a sweet bite of Tiramisu or some crunchy Pizzelle cookies.
Recipe FAQs
Italian sausage is a pork sausage flavored with fennel seeds. It is available in different varieties such as hot, mild, or sweet, and it’s used in everything from pastas to soups, pizza toppings, and burgers. It can be purchased in bulk or link form.
Fire-roasted tomatoes have been charred over flame before they are diced and canned.
I love rigatoni pasta because it has ridges on its walls. This makes it sturdier and more likely to soak up sauce. However, penne is an adequate substitute (smaller and smoother, though) if you need one.
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Rigatoni with Sausage
Ingredients
- Salt
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta or other small pasta
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1 (15 ounce) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes undrained (see note 1)
- 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves chiffonade, plus more for garnish, or ½ teaspoon dried (see note 2)
- 1 cup heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large Dutch oven or stock pot, bring 4 quarts water and 1 tablespoon salt to boil. Add rigatoni and cook until al dente, stirring often, about 12 minutes. Drain well.
- Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium heat, add sausage and cook, breaking it into small pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned, about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain fat if desired.
- Stir in tomatoes and their juice and basil and cook until juices are heated through, about 3 minutes longer.
- Stir in heavy cream and simmer 3 minutes. Add pasta and toss to coat, then season to taste with salt. Garnish with more fresh basil leaves if desired.
Notes
- Fire-roasted diced tomatoes: The fire-roasted aspect adds more flavor, but this recipe is also delicious with standard diced tomatoes.
- Basil: To chiffonade the fresh basil leaves, stack several basil leaves on top of each other and roll tightly. While holding the roll of leaves tightly, slice crosswise, cutting the roll into very thin strips or ribbons.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 12 cups of pasta, enough for 6 entrée-sized servings, 2 cups each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I made this for dinner tonight and it was super easy, fast and delicious! My only recommendation would be to add more of the fire roasted tomatoes and a bit more cream so there is more sauce to coat the pasta but that is a personal preference and the recipe is just fine as written for most others who make it I’m sure. Thanks for sharing your recipes online so we always have new, tasty things to try for dinner, Meggan!
You’re so welcome, Tammie! Thank you so much for the comment! I’m glad you loved it! – Meggan