How to Video
20-Minute Sausage Rigatoni
This easy, fast, and incredibly flavorful pasta dish comes together in 20 minutes with just 4 main ingredients. Perfect for busy nights!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 pound rigatoni or ziti (make sure to reserve 1 cup pasta water)
- 1 pound mild or hot Italian sausage (pork or turkey sausage works)
- 1 (24-ounce) marinara sauce (I used Rao’s Tomato Basil Sauce but use your favorite.)
- 1 (5.2-ounce) package Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs cheese (sub: Alouette soft garlic cheese)
- Optional for serving: Fresh torn basil, grated Parmesan cheese, and red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the salt. Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1 cup of pasta water.
- Brown Sausage: Meanwhile, in a large skillet (one with higher sides is helpful) over medium-high heat, cook the Italian sausage, breaking it into tiny crumbles (this is important), until fully browned and cooked through. Drain excess grease if needed.
- Finish Sauce: Add the marinara sauce into the skillet with the sausage and stir to combine. Crumble the Boursin cheese into the sauce and stir until fully melted and creamy. Reduce heat to low and let it warm through for a few minutes.
- Combine: Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat. Stir in a little reserved pasta water, a splash at a time, until it reaches your desired consistency. Note: It will thicken up and cling to the pasta even better after it sits for a few minutes.
- Serve: Dish up the pasta, garnish with fresh basil, Parmesan, and/or red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes/Tips
- Reserving the starchy pasta water is critical for the success of this recipe. It helps the sauce stick to the pasta and adds just the right amount of liquid to finish off the dish. I usually use most or all of it.
- Dairy-Free Version: Use 5-6 ounces Kitehill Chive Dairy-Free Cream Cheese instead of Boursin. We also had a reader let us know that Boursin makes a dairy-free version. It may not be available everywhere, but if you can find it, give it a try!
- Gluten-Free Version: Use Banza gluten-free rotini or penne pasta.
- This recipe is not especially freezer friendly. The pasta will get mushy and dried out after being in the freezer.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving | Calories: 503 kcal (25%) | Carbohydrates: 48 g (16%) | Protein: 18 g (36%) | Fat: 26 g (40%) | Cholesterol: 62 mg (21%) | Sodium: 1807 mg (79%) | Fiber: 3 g (13%) | Sugar: 5 g (6%)
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