One-Pot Creamy Sausage Rigatoni is your ultimate creamy, tomatoey pasta dream. A from-scratch sauce is built on layers upon layers of quickly developed flavor, producing a complex creamy sauce that delivers a satisfying bit of heat.
Half vodka sauce, half Bolognese, this sauce straddles both worlds, creating a creamy, meaty, and complex flavor profile that’ll make you quit your jarred pasta sauce habit for good.
Here, the aromatics are sautéed, followed by herbs and meaty ground sausage. The liquids come in the form of cream, white wine, and crushed tomatoes. If you don’t want to use the full four cups of cream, you can opt to use two cups of heavy cream and two cups of whole milk.
After the sauce simmers for a few minutes, the pasta and cheese are added. A bit of salt and pepper are added to taste, and this One-Pot Creamy Sausage Rigatoni is ready to dig into!
The sauce sticks to every inch of the pasta and gives you a punch of flavor with each bite! While rich, the creamy sauce packs heat with chili flakes and Calabrian chilis.
Since the meat was broken up evenly, you get a bit of sausage with each forkful. A creamy, meaty, and carby win in our book!
One-Pot Creamy Sausage Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced or left whole for a rustic touch
- 2 teaspoons chili flakes (or to taste)
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- 1/2 pound ground Italian sausage
- 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes
- 2 teaspoons Calabrian chili (optional)
- 1 cup white wine
- 4 cups heavy cream (you can also substitute with 2 cups cream and 2 cups milk)
- 1/2 cup crushed tomatoes
- 1 pound rigatoni, cooked according to the package directions
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- In a large pot, heat up olive oil and sauté onions for 4 minutes, until slightly softened.
- Add garlic, chili flakes, and Italian seasoning, cooking for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add ground sausage. Use the spoon or spatula to break up the sausage and cook it evenly, about 7 to 8 minutes.
- Add sun-dried tomatoes and Calabrian chili, stirring to combine.
- Add in white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan to incorporate all of the ingredients together.
- Add in cream and crushed tomatoes, stirring to combine. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add in cooked pasta and grated cheese. Season with salt and pepper, serve, and enjoy!