Description
This One-Pot Sausage Pasta recipe is a quick and hearty meal combining Italian sausage, rigatoni pasta, and a creamy tomato sauce, all cooked together in one pot for easy cleanup. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, it features layers of flavor with garlic, Italian seasoning, and fresh basil.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed, if using links)
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
- ⅛ to ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- â…› teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 ½ cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 cup marinara sauce
- 12 ounces uncooked rigatoni pasta (about ¾ of a box)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 basil leaves, sliced
Instructions
- Cook Sausage and Onion: Warm the olive oil in a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and diced onion, breaking up the sausage into small crumbles using a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sausage is fully cooked and the onion becomes tender. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for about 20 seconds until fragrant. Add the Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. Stir well to combine. Drain off any excess grease from the pot.
- Add Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste thoroughly to coat the sausage and onion, infusing the mixture with rich tomato flavor.
- Simmer Pasta: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth, marinara sauce, and uncooked rigatoni pasta. Mix everything together and bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, stir the mixture, cover the pot with a lid, and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for about 14 minutes, stirring occasionally towards the end to prevent the pasta from sticking. The pasta should absorb most of the liquid and be cooked al dente.
- Add Cream and Cheese: Pour in the heavy cream and warm the mixture through for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, stir in the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sliced basil leaves until fully combined, creating a creamy, flavorful sauce.
- Serve: Remove the pot from heat. Serve the pasta in bowls and offer additional grated Parmesan cheese at the table for extra flavor.
Notes
- Remove excess grease from the sausage after cooking to avoid a greasy pasta sauce.
- Stir the pasta occasionally during simmering to prevent it from sticking to the pot.
- For a spicier dish, increase the amount of crushed red pepper flakes.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control salt levels in the dish.
- Freshly grated Parmesan cheese melts better than pre-grated varieties, enhancing the texture and flavor.
