Italian sausage pasta is the perfect meal for your busy weeknight dinner. It’s quick and easy and taste just like grandma used to make! This simple pasta dinner can be on the table in about 45 minutes.
Italian Sausage with Rigatoni
What do you get when you make a delicious Italian pasta dish with sausage and rigatoni? You get something that tastes like home. This is one of my favorite recipes, not only because it’s easy to make but also because it’s just so good!
What is Rigatoni
Rigatoni is a pasta that is similar to penne pasta but larger and not cut on a diagonal, with a slight curve in the tube. It is great because it holds the sauce, cheese and meat in the noodle.
The larger the rigatoni, the better. It’s not cut on a diagonal and it has this beautiful tube shape that is perfect for trapping sauce in every nook and cranny! Rigatoni noodles are also more hearty than penne or ziti so they hold up to any meaty sauces you throw at them. However, if you do not have rigatoni then penne and ziti will work in a pinch.
How to Store Sausage Rigatoni
I love to make a double batch of this Italian sausage pasta recipe because it is great for leftovers. You can also freeze the second batch, either before or after it is baked. It makes a great freezer meal. You want to store the pasts in the refrigerator. Make sure it is in an airtight container.
If you want to store this pasta dinner in the freezer, you can keep it in the casserole dish, if it has not been baked yet, or you can move it to an airtight container or freezer bag. Make sure the air is out of the container or bag so that there is less of a chance for freezer burn.
How to Reheat This Rigatoni Recipe
Pasta recipes are one of those recipes that tend to taste even better the next day because the flavors have the chance to come together. I like to reheat my Italian sausage pasta in the oven or in a pot on the stove. You can also scoop it out and reheat it in the microwave. I like to add a bit more sauce to mine when I reheat it because the noodles do soak up the sauce which can leave it a little on the dry side.
What to Serve with Rigatoni
Rigatoni is great all on its own, however, if you want to serve something with this dish you can try:
Garlic Bread – Garlic bread is a wonderful accompaniment to any pasta dish. It has its own intense flavor that will compliment whatever sauce you are using, and it is easy to make at home too! You can either purchase pre-made garlic knots or use your favorite baguette recipe to create some delicious garlic bread. Here’s a recipe for garlic cheese bread you might enjoy. It’s from our main blog, Great Grub, Delicious Treats.
Salad – Salad goes with everything. A side salad is a great addition to pasta and works fantastic with the heaviness of this recipe.
Grilled or Roasted Vegetable – If you want something healthy but more filling than a salad, roasted or grilled vegetables is the way to go. Just about any style of vegetables will go great with rigatoni. Here is a Lemon Parmesan Baked Asparagus recipe you might enjoy as well.
Ingredients to Make Italian Sausage Pasta
- Hot Italian sausage
- Ground beef
- Green bell pepper
- Red bell pepper
- Onion, diced
- Olive oil
- Rigatoni
- Tomato sauce
- Tomato paste
- Diced tomatoes
- Basil
- Oregano
- Pepper
How to Make Italian Sausage Pasta
- In a large pot, cook the pasta according to package directions. Strain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.
- In a large skillet or pan, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add Italian sausage links and cook until brown on each side (3-4 minutes on all sides).
- Remove links from pan and place on paper towels. Set aside.
- Add ground beef, onions, bell peppers and garlic to skillet and cook until met is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
- Drain grease, return meat mixture back to skillet and place back on stove.
- Slice sausage links about ¼ inch thick and add to skillet.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, and pepper. Stir well and let simmer over low-medium heat until sauce begins to boil.
- Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately over Rigatoni pasta.
- Optional: Mozzarella cheese, Parmesan cheese.
Try This Delicious Italian Sausage Pasta Today
Looking For More Italian Recipes:
- Lasagna Soup
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza
- Philly Cheesecake Pizza
- Homemade Lasagna
- and this Italian Sausage Penne Casserole from Great Grub, Delicious Treats
Italian Sausage Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 lb hot Italian sausage links
- 1 lb ground beef
- 1 onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- (2) 15 oz tomato sauce
- 15 oz diced tomatoes
- 12 oz tomato paste
- 1½ tsp basil
- 1½ tsp oregano
- 1 tsp pepper
- 16 oz Rigatoni
Instructions
- In a large pot, cook pasta according to package directions. Strain, rinse with cold water, set aside.
- In a large pan or skillet, heat oil. Add Italian sausage links to the hot oil and cook until brown on each side (3-4 minutes on all sides).
- Remove links from the pan and place on a plate lined with paper towels. Set aside.
- Add ground beef, onions, bell peppers and garlic to skillet and cook until met is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
- Drain grease, return meat mixture back to skillet and place back on stove.
- Slice sausage links about ¼ inch thick and add to skillet.
- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, basil, oregano, and pepper. Stir well and let simmer over low-medium heat until sauce begins to boil.
- Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately over cooked Rigatoni pasta.
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