Description
A quick and creamy tomato sausage pasta with spinach, perfect for a weeknight dinner. Ready in just 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz rigatoni pasta
- 1 lb Italian sausage (mild or hot), casings removed
- 1 tbsp olive oil (if needed)
- 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes (or 1 1/2 cups marinara)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
- 1/4–1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tsp kosher salt (plus more for pasta water), to taste
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 3–4 cups fresh baby spinach (about 3–5 oz)
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (as needed)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook rigatoni until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook Italian sausage until browned and crumbled. Drain excess grease if needed (leave about 1 tbsp for flavor).
- Add onion to the skillet and cook 3–4 minutes until softened. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds.
- Stir in tomato paste and cook 1 minute. Add crushed tomatoes (or marinara), Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes (if using), salt, and pepper. Simmer 3–5 minutes.
- Lower heat to medium-low and stir in heavy cream until the sauce turns creamy and smooth.
- Add spinach and stir just until wilted.
- Add drained rigatoni and toss to coat. Stir in Parmesan. If needed, loosen with reserved pasta water a splash at a time until glossy and saucy.
- Serve hot with extra Parmesan and a pinch of red pepper flakes.
Notes
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Use hot Italian sausage for extra spice.
- Fresh spinach wilts quickly, so add it at the end.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 790
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 1200mg
- Fat: 45g
- Saturated Fat: 18g
- Unsaturated Fat: 22g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 65g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 33g
- Cholesterol: 110mg
Keywords: Creamy Tomato Sausage Pasta, Spinach sausage pasta, Tomato cream sauce pasta, 30 minute pasta dinner, Rigatoni with Italian sausage, Easy weeknight pasta recipe