Description
This One-Pot Sausage Pasta recipe is a hearty and flavorful dish that combines savory Italian sausage, tender rigatoni pasta, and a creamy tomato sauce, all cooked together in a single pot for convenience and rich taste. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, it delivers a satisfying meal with minimal cleanup.
Ingredients
Scale
Meat and Vegetables
- 1 pound Italian sausage (casings removed, if using links)
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
Seasonings and Oils
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 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
Liquids and Pasta
- 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
Finishing Touches
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 6 basil leaves, sliced
Instructions
- Brown Sausage and Onions: Warm the olive oil in a large nonstick pot over medium-high heat, swirling to coat the bottom evenly. Add the Italian sausage and diced onion, breaking the sausage into small crumbles with a wooden spoon. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sausage is fully cooked and the onions are soft. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add dried Italian seasoning, salt, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Mix well, then drain off excess grease from the pot.
- Add Tomato Paste: Stir in the tomato paste thoroughly until it’s well combined with the sausage and onion mixture, allowing it to cook for a minute to deepen the flavors.
- Add Liquids and Pasta: Pour in the low-sodium chicken broth, marinara sauce, and the uncooked rigatoni pasta. Stir to combine all ingredients and bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat. Once boiling, give it a good stir to prevent sticking, cover the pot with a lid, then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 14 minutes, stirring a couple of times toward the end to stop the pasta from sticking to the pot. The pasta should absorb the liquid and be cooked to al dente.
- Add Cream and Cheese: Stir in the heavy cream and warm the mixture through for 1 to 2 minutes. Then, add the freshly grated Parmesan cheese and sliced basil leaves, mixing thoroughly until the cheese melts and the basil is evenly distributed.
- Serve: Remove the pot from heat. Serve the pasta portions in bowls and offer additional grated Parmesan cheese at the table for extra flavor.
Notes
- Make sure to break the sausage into small crumbles so it cooks evenly and mixes well with the pasta.
- Stirring occasionally during simmering prevents the pasta from sticking to the pot bottom.
- Adjust the crushed red pepper flakes according to your preferred spice level or omit for a milder dish.
- Use low-sodium broth to control saltiness, especially since Parmesan and sausage can be salty.
- Fresh basil adds a nice aromatic touch; you can substitute with dried basil if fresh is unavailable, but add it earlier in cooking.
