Name: Creamy Italian Sausage Rigatoni with Hearty Pasta for Lazy Dinners
Ingredients: 12 ounces Rigatoni pasta; 1 tablespoon olive oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 pound Italian sausage (remove from casings if in casings, sweet or spicy); 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained; 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce; 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1/2 teaspoon dried basil; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1/2 cup heavy cream; 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Description

Creamy Italian Sausage Rigatoni is a comforting pasta dish made with hearty rigatoni, savory Italian sausage, and a rich tomato cream sauce finished with Parmesan. It’s an easy, satisfying option for lazy dinners, relaxed Sunday meals, or busy weeknights when you want something filling without complicated steps.

Ingredients

Scale

12 ounces Rigatoni pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound Italian sausage (remove from casings if in casings, sweet or spicy)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

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Instructions

Cook the rigatoni pasta according to package directions until al dente. Drain and transfer the pasta to a large bowl. Set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 3–4 minutes.
Add the Italian sausage to the pan and cook, breaking it into pieces with a wooden spoon, until browned and no longer pink.
Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Drain off any excess fat from the pan.
Add the diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, dried basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper. Stir well and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sauce thickens slightly.
Add the heavy cream and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring gently.
Reduce the heat to low and stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and the sauce is smooth and creamy.

Pour the sauce over the cooked rigatoni and toss until evenly coated. Serve warm.

Notes

Sweet or spicy Italian sausage both work well; choose based on your heat preference.
Simmering the sauce before adding the cream helps deepen the flavor.
Drain excess sausage fat to keep the sauce from becoming greasy.

Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently with a splash of liquid if needed.