Flavorful Italian sausage pasta is not only an easy pasta recipe, it's packed with incredible flavors, in a creamy sauce that is super hearty and ready in just 30 minutes. Talk about a new family favorite!
Cook rigatoni in a large pot of salted water to desired tenderness. Reserve about 1 cup of the water to make the sauce and drain the remaining water from the pasta.
Meanwhile, begin browning sausage in a large skillet over medium heat. When sausage is about halfway cooked (some pink, some brown sausage in pan), add the diced onion and continue cooking until the sausage is cooked and the onion is soft.
Add butter, garlic, Italian seasoning, and sundried tomatoes to the skillet and cook over medium heat 2-3 minutes longer.
Add the cream and reserved pasta water to the sausage mixture and bring to a simmer. Simmer 3-4 minutes.
Stir the spinach into the sauce (it will wilt quickly and does not need to be cooked further), followed by the pasta.
Simmer 1-2 minutes longer to thicken the sauce as needed.
Notes
Storage: This Italian sausage recipe will stay fresh for up to 3 days when refrigerated in an airtight container. Notes:This recipe is derived from: https://thegirlinspired.com/creamy-chicken-pasta-sundried-tomatoes/Feel free to mix in up to 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese into the sauce. Just add it bit by bit after combining the cream and pasta water in the skillet, stirring until each addition melts and blends smoothly into the sauce.This creamy pasta becomes thicker as it cools, since the pasta soaks up more of the sauce. If reheating, simply stir in a little milk or cream and warm it up over the stove.Customize the protein in your dish! Whether it's chicken, mild Italian sausage, or shrimp, any can replace the hot Italian sausage used. While the hot Italian sausage is full of flavor and seasoning, it doesn't make the dish spicy.The pasta water not only helps to thin the sauce to your liking but, thanks to its starch content from the pasta, it helps in thickening the sauce as well. Feel free to use chicken broth as a substitute. If opting for half and half or milk instead of heavy cream, you might want to skip the pasta water and adjust the dairy amount for the right consistency.A standard box of rigatoni is 1 lb., but this recipe only uses half. Doubling the recipe to use the full box is doable—just keep the same amount of sausage and onions, but increase the rest of the ingredients to ensure there's plenty of sauce. A larger stock pot or skillet will be needed. For an extra touch of freshness, consider adding fresh basil or cherry tomatoes to the mix.Use the sundried tomatoes packed in oil and herbs for more depth of flavor. Don't hesitate to include the oil from the jar—it's packed with taste. If your sundried tomatoes are stored in the fridge and the oil has thickened, simply scoop them out along with their oil directly into your sauce.