4.93 from 13 votes

Rigatoni

Name: Rigatoni
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 12 oz dry rigatoni noodles (see note 1); 2 Tablespoons olive oil; 1 medium onion (diced (about 1 cup)); 1 Tablespoon minced garlic; 1 lb mild Italian sausage (see note 2); 28 oz can crushed tomatoes; 8 oz can tomato sauce; 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar; 1 ½ teaspoons Italian seasoning; 1 teaspoon dried basil; ½ teaspoon onion powder; ¼ teaspoon table salt; ½ teaspoon ground black pepper; ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional); ⅓ cup heavy cream (see note 3); ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese

By Sam MerrittUpdated Jul 08, 2025

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19 Comments

Servings: 6 servings

40 mins

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This simple, hearty rigatoni recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner! It comes together in just over 30 minutes and has an incredible depth of flavor from the sausage-infused sauce. Recipe includes a how-to video!

Skillet of homemade rigatoni topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Fast and Flavorful Rigatoni with Sausage

Besides being comforting and immensely flavorful, this rigatoni recipe is also easy to make and super filling (especially when paired with a salad and garlic knots or breadsticks!).

It’s made with a homemade, meat-infused marinara sauce that’s flavored with sautéed onion and garlic, Italian sausage, and spices. Just before serving, we’ll stir in just enough cream and cheese to enrich the sauce without making it too rich.

What’s to Love:

Great weeknight dinner recipe! It’s low-fuss and can be on the table in under 45 minutes.
Richly flavored sauce that is not only 100% homemade, but tastes even better than your favorite jarred store-bought sauce.
Customizable–swap the sausage for ground beef or ground chicken, use your favorite type of pasta (even gluten-free works here!), toss in some spinach or mushrooms, add more crushed red pepper for a bit of spice, etc.
Accessible for any home cook. Despite the restaurant-quality flavor, my rigatoni recipe is simple (no fancy techniques, no complicated steps) with a few basic ingredients and no fancy tools needed.

What You Need

Overhead view of labeled rigatoni ingredients.

Rigatoni. Rigatoni’s wide, tubular shape and ridged exterior is perfect for this recipe, because it catches all of the sauce and stands up to its hearty texture. You could substitute another similarly shaped pasta, like penne or ziti, but I think rigatoni works best (plus, I mean, this recipe is called “rigatoni”).
Sausage. Use your favorite type of sausage (sweet or spicy), or you can even substitute ground beef, chicken, or turkey. For a vegetarian pasta, you can skip the meat entirely, but you will need to add in some flavor enhancers (veggies like mushrooms or eggplant would be great!) since much of the flavor in this dish comes from the sausage.
Spices. Besides the Italian seasoning blend, we’ll be adding some additional basil, onion powder, black pepper, and crushed red pepper flakes. You can leave out the crushed red pepper flakes if you don’t care for the heat, though I find this amount is mild enough for most people, even my kids.
Cream. We’ll use a splash of heavy cream, double cream, or whipping cream to add a subtle richness and thickness to the sauce. Don’t substitute milk or your sauce could curdle!
Parmesan. A sprinkling of parmesan in our sauce helps to thicken it and adds a lovely savory flavor. You can always add more on top for garnish when serving too!

This is an overview of the ingredients only, please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe!

SAM’S TIP: Don’t skip the sugar! A small amount of offsets the acidity of the tomatoes to allow their true flavor to shine (just like in my tomato soup and cherry tomato sauce). It won’t make your sauce sweet.

How to Make Rigatoni

Close-up view of rigatoni noodles boiling in water.

Step 1: Boil the pasta. Cook pasta in salted boiling water until al dente, then drain and set it aside.

Overhead view of onions sauteing in a pot.

Step 2: Cook the aromatics. Saute the onion in a separate pot (preferably an enameled Dutch oven–it needs to be big enough to hold the pasta and the sauce) until softened. Add the garlic and cook very briefly until fragrant, being careful not to let it burn.

Overhead view of browned and crumbled sausage in a pot.

Step 3: Brown the sausage Add the sausage and crumble as you go until it is browned and cooked through. I like to break the sausage up into bite sized (or smaller) pieces so it blends into the sauce nicely. I’ve never needed to drain off any grease, but if your sausage is overly greasy, feel free to.

Overhead view of a pot of tomato sauce made with sausage and onions.

Step 4: Stir in tomatoes & spices & simmer. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar, and spices, then let the sauce simmer for 10 minutes. Simmering helps the flavor develop and allows the sauce to thicken up a bit. Don’t skip it!

Rigatoni noodles being tossed in a tomato and sausage sauce.

Step 5: Add the pasta. Add your cooked rigatoni and stir to combine. Be gentle here–you don’t want to destroy the noodles!

Cream being poured into a pot of rigatoni that's been tossed in a tomato and sausage sauce.

Step 6: Add cream and cheese. Drizzle in the cream and sprinkle the parmesan overtop. Stir until well combined and cheese is melted, then enjoy!

SAM’S TIP: If you’d like to amp up the veggies in this dish, you can toss in about 2 cups of fresh baby spinach when you add the cream and parmesan. It will wilt into the sauce beautifully!

Overhead view of a skillet of homemade rigatoni topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does this recipe reheat well?

While pasta dishes aren’t my favorite for reheating (the noodles just don’t maintain their texture), this rigatoni still tastes great the second day. My preferred method for reheating is to put it in a large skillet, add a splash of water or broth, and reheat over low heat.

How do I cook rigatoni perfectly?

Remember to salt your water and stay near your pot! Overcooked pasta just doesn’t taste as good as pasta that’s cooked properly. To avoid this, check your pasta as it approaches the box’s recommended time for al dente and drain it as soon as it is ready.

What is the difference between rigatoni and penne?

Penne is a short, tubular pasta with ridges similar to those on rigatoni; however, penne is more narrow and has ends that are cut on an angle, so they come to a point. Both work well for pretty much any sauce, but they are especially great for thicker sauces (like my penne alla vodka!).

Ziti is another short, tubular pasta. It is narrow like penne, but typically thicker than both penne and rigatoni and almost always has a smooth exterior. Like rigatoni, ziti works well in baked pasta dishes (check out my baked ziti recipe!).