One-Pan Creamy Sausage Rigatoni with Spinach (Print-Friendly Version)
Uncooked rigatoni simmers directly in tomato sauce, broth and cream before spinach is folded in. Stirring and checking the liquid level are important because pasta absorption varies.
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House placeholder — AdSense units launch here# Ingredients You’ll Need:
01 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
02 - 15 oz Italian sausage, crumbled (sweet or spicy)
03 - 8 oz rigatoni pasta, uncooked
04 - 1 cup chicken broth
05 - 1 cup heavy cream
06 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or Herbs de Provence
08 - 15 oz tomato sauce
09 - 5 oz fresh spinach
10 - Salt, to taste
11 - Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
12 - Red pepper flakes, optional (for heat)
13 - Hot water, as needed in small additions if pasta is still firm
# How to Make It:
01 - Heat oil in a large, deep skillet with a lid. Add crumbled sausage and cook, breaking it up, to 160°F for pork or beef or 165°F for poultry. Drain excess grease safely.
02 - Stir in garlic and Italian seasoning briefly. Add uncooked rigatoni, broth, cream and tomato sauce; stir so the pasta is distributed through the liquid.
03 - Bring to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook, stirring the bottom regularly, and begin checking the pasta after about ten minutes.
04 - If the pasta is still firm and the liquid is nearly gone, add hot water a small splash at a time. Continue until tender; the package shape and pan width may require longer than fifteen minutes.
05 - Fold in spinach and simmer until wilted. If sauce is too loose, cook uncovered briefly while stirring. Taste for salt, pepper and optional flakes, then serve.
# Extra Suggestions:
01 - Keep the eight-ounce amount for this liquid ratio. A full pound needs a separately adjusted recipe.
02 - Pasta in the bottom layer can stick while the upper layer cooks more slowly. Stirring redistributes both liquid and heat.
03 - Use small additions of hot water and test a piece of pasta before adding more. Extra cream is not necessary to finish cooking the starch.
04 - It can be omitted without changing the pasta measurement, though the finished dish will have less vegetable volume.