Rigatoni with Sausage, Tomatoes, and Zucchini

Made with Italian sausage, tomatoes, and contemporary zucchini, this flavorful rigatoni pasta recipe is a crowd-pleaser! We love utilizing rigatoni pasta as a result of the tubular pasta catches the tomato sauce, onions, and garlic. However use one other tubular form – or pasta form you need. That is the right pasta recipe once you’re craving healthy-ish consolation meals however don’t need a type of heavy baked pasta dishes.

You’ll Love this Rigatoni Pasta Recipe

• Full of taste, this pasta recipe is a household favourite – we make it not less than as soon as a month!
• The contemporary tomato sauce is bursting with taste and texture due to Italian sausage, onions and garlic, wine, and veggies.
• Not like a lot of rigatoni pasta recipes, there’s no floor beef or heavy cream, making it a lighter selection. You gained’t really feel tremendous heavy after consuming this pasta recipe!
• Infinitely adaptable, get inventive with the substances. Miss the Italian sausage or sub additional veggies. Take a look at my substitution strategies within the sections beneath. 
• The tomato sauce is ideal for dipping a chunk of garlic bread or just a few garlic knots. NOM.
• Leftovers are so scrumptious and keep contemporary for days to return! Simply ensure you prepare dinner the rigatoni pasta al dente. Nobody needs mushy noodles! 

Scrumptious with a Ceasar salad and a chilly bottle of white wine. This pasta dish is sweet change from basic marinara sauce, and far lighter than baked rigatoni with beef! 

Components for Rigatoni with Sausage:

• Rigatoni Pasta: That is my most well-liked pasta form, however use farfalle, penne, or some other pasta form as an alternative.
• Olive Oil: It doesn’t should be high-end olive oil. However I don’t counsel utilizing canola oil or vegetable oil. 
• Crushed Purple Pepper Flakes: Provides only a contact of warmth. Omit when you’re utilizing spicy Italian sausage otherwise you don’t like spicy pasta dishes. 
• Italian Sausage: You should use candy Italian sausage, spicy Italian sausage, or use a mixture!
• Yellow Onion: However a white onion or shallots will work in a pinch! 
• Garlic: Recent garlic is crucial for including taste. Don’t exchange this ingredient with garlic powder. 
• Tomato Paste: Along with contemporary tomatoes, tomato paste provides an additional punch of tomato taste! It additionally helps thicken up the sauce. 
• Grape Tomatoes: This number of tomatoes is what makes our contemporary tomato sauce. If you happen to can’t discover grape tomatoes, cherry tomatoes will work positive. Or use a pair massive heirloom tomatoes. Roughly chop them earlier than including them to the pan. 
• White Wine or Broth: Sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio work nice on this pasta recipe. However low-sodium hen or vegetable broth work too! 
• Recent Zucchini: You should use yellow zucchini, inexperienced zucchini, or a mixture of each. Use no matter selection is simple to search out and appears the freshest. 
• Recent Basil: Dried basil won’t give this pasta dish the identical taste, so make sure to use contemporary herbs right here. 
• Salt and Pepper: Italian sausage has a great quantity of salt, so begin with a small quantity and alter as wanted.
• Parmesan Cheese: That is an elective ingredient. However a sprinkle of cheese is at all times a welcome addition in my home.

What’s Rigatoni & Why is it a Particular Pasta Form?

• Rigatoni is a well-liked pasta form that originated in Italy. Particularly in style within the south of Italy and Sicily, however now extensively used world wide.
• The phrase rigatoni comes from the Italian phrase rigato, which suggests ‘lined’ or ‘striped’. 
• Rigatoni noodles are a tubular pasta. Rigatoni is a wider tubular pasta than different tubular shapes like penne and ziti. They’re typically barely curved, different occasions fully straight. 
• Rigatoni Pasta is the right selection for baked pasta casserole, pasta recipes with chunky sauces, or creamy sauces. Or with a easy tomato sauce. 
• Rigatonis ridges make it extra adhesive. Which means sauce and cheese will keep on with it higher than easy surfaces pasta, like ziti, penne, or elbow noodles. 

Italian Sausage vs Floor Beef

• Italian sausage goes to provide the greatest taste and texture on this recipe. It has quite a lot of herbs and spices blended into the meat. And it’ll keep in bigger chunks when cooked. 
• I discover pork sausage works the very best. Use hen sausage or turkey sausage when you take pleasure in their taste and texture. 
• You may sub floor beef as an alternative of the Italian sausage. I’d counsel including some additional basil and possibly a splash or two of Italian seasoning to make up for the misplaced taste. 

Can I add Heavy Cream to the Tomato Sauce?

• To make this right into a cream sauce, prepare dinner as directed. Whenever you take away the pan from warmth, stir in 1 cup of heavy cream, stirring continually as you pour. 
• It’s also possible to combine a 1/2 cup of finely grated parmesan cheese into the sauce to make it even creamier. 
• If you happen to add heavy cream and like spicy sauce, you’ll doubtless want additional purple pepper flakes. The cream dilutes the spice, so including extra gives you a stronger spicy taste.

How one can Cook dinner Rigatoni and Tomato Sauce

1. Deliver Water to a Boil: After you have boiling water, add salt then add the pasta. Stir the pasta within the boiling water so the noodles don’t stick collectively. 
2. Cook dinner the Pasta: Till al dente. Don’t overcook the rigatoni or it is going to develop into mushy once you combine it with the tomato sauce. Drain and put aside till wanted. 
3. Make the Sauce: Cook dinner over medium warmth till the tomatoes burst, then toss within the zucchini and prepare dinner till tender. Season, style, and alter as wanted. 
4. Stir within the Pasta: Add within the rigatoni and stir properly to mix. Switch to serving bowls and serve instantly.