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I made this the other night for my husband and I and we both LOVED it. This is how sauce should always be made. This will be on regular repeat.
Phoebe
THIS PASTA.
I think you know that I do love my vegetables, which is convenient since there are actually two good sources of veggies in this recipe (FOR REAL), but all the good veggie things aside, there are some times when you just need to find a way to get some spicy Italian sausage in your life.
Watch How To Make This Recipe
And if that spicy Italian sausage can come in tandem with finely minced golden brown sautéed onions and carrots, red pepper flakes, oregano, and a splash of red wine all swimming in the magic that is San Marzano tomatoes and served on rigatoni with FRESH BASIL RIBBONS and Parmesan to infinity and beyond? Well, then, do we even need to keep talking?
Here, take a plate.
This is another one of those recipes that feels restaurant-fancy, but is easy easy.
You can make it for a certain special holiday coming up (❤️) or just on a normal Thursday night and feel like a Top Chef either way.
Oh, and did I mention there’s red wine all up in this pasta too? (Yes, I did, but it requires mentioning again.) Open that bottle, pour it in, and leave the rest on the table for dinner.
Now that I’ve filled up a plate for you, bring me your wine glass and we’ll be all set to let the good meal vibes roll.
Common Questions About This Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
If your sauce is too runny, either simmer everything a bit longer or just let it cool down to thicken. I also find that adding a knob of butter or a bit of Parmesan will help the sauce thicken.
Yes! You can run the vegetables through a food processor to get them uniformly chopped / minced a bit faster.
Any full-bodied red wine should work. We love using Cabernet Sauvignon or Zinfandel.
We love making our Toasted Bread and Parmesan Salad or Brussels and Kale Caesar Salad with this dish. SO GOOD!
Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8–10 1x
Description
This Spicy Sausage Rigatoni is so simple and SO GOOD. Chewy tubes of rigatoni swimming in a delicious sauce made of Italian sausage, San Marzano tomatoes, red wine, and spices.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1–2 cloves garlic, minced
- half of a yellow onion, minced
- 2 stalks celery, minced
- 2 carrots, minced
- 12 ounces spicy Italian sausage (casings removed – just the ground meat)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1 28 ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, including their juices
- 1/4 cup balsamic or Italian dressing (optional – for some zing!)
- 10–12 ounces rigatoni
- butter, Parmesan, or basil for topping
Instructions
- Heat the butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots – sauté for 10 minutes or so, until the vegetables are very soft.
- Add the ground sausage, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. When the sausage is fully cooked, add the wine and let it sizzle out.
- Add the tomatoes and optional dressing – simmer for 20-30 minutes so the sauce reduces a bit.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions. Add the pasta to the sauce and stir gently to combine. It should be saucy but not runny. Transfer to a large serving dish and top with Parmesan and parsley or basil. Serve with more wine!
Equipment
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Buy Now → - Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
Keywords: spicy sausage rigatoni, sausage rigatoni, spicy rigatoni
What a great recipe! It was easy to make and such great flavors! I made the sauce ahead of time and then reheated it while I boiled the pasta and it was perfect for entertaining. I will definitely be making this again.
Hi, I have made this recipe a couple of times when we are having guests and it was a huge success. Want to make it again but only for two people.
Can I freeze the left overs or can the recipe be halved?
Thanks
You can halve the recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! I made it with rigatoni from a local Italian shop and used Zinfandel as suggested — the sauce came out rich and comforting. I usually spend my evenings working on professional translation services, but this recipe gave me a perfect excuse to slow down and enjoy a proper meal. Definitely adding it to my repeat list!
well the dog is drooling (Radar gets a taste of everything).
the balsamic is spot on, i used fresh herbs (oregon, i have all the fresh herbs), i kicked it up a little because i had sweet italian sausage on hand so i just added what was missing from the sausage seasoning, wine i used pino, mirpoi i had on hand frozen so easy peasy, fresh garlic out of the gardens.
additions: 1/2 tsp anchovy paste (it needed a bit of something and that did the trick ).
(umm might add a conversion to fresh herbs for a few more clicks on this, not many recipes have conversions to fresh herbs and gardening is finally becoming popular again, its not a thing for me. but you might trial it if you are interested)
great recipe! will go in the recipe box .
thank you
This is a delicious sauce. But I have no concept of how you think it serves 10 people!!
What are you using as a
“Serving size per person”?
I was looking for something different to make in the comfort food category. My wife and I like Italian and Spicy food, so this seemed to be a good choice, and it was! Easy to make, very delicious and goes great with Syrah. Thank you very much, Mark
This is so delicious. Great ingredients and flavor.
This was amazing. Thank you for clear and precise steps. The videos are such a great help. It was so flavorful. My family enjoyed it.
This was a homerun in my house last night. Excellent recipe! Thank you for sharing it.
Fabulous recipe and a regular favourite. Needs the right nice & tasty Italian sausage (difficult to source here tragically). Easy as can be to make.
I love this recipe. It is easy, a sort-of-but-not Bolognese sauce. The addition of good Balsamic vinegar is genius!
On the wine selections, I love using a good Chianti or Chianti Reserva from Italy. You can get a good quality Chianti at many stores…and the Sangiovese grape just goes so well with this sauce.
I’m making this now can’t wait for it to be finished and ready to dig in recipe looks like it’s going to be a regular on our table
I have made your Spicy Sausage Rigatoni and loved it!
Now I want to make it a day or two ahead. How do you recommend making in advance and re-heating??
Thank you!
Re: Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
Are there baking instructions if it is not served immediately?
Can it be made and baked a day or so later? Covered/uncovered etc.
Thank you!
Very yummy! I have literally never made rigatoni before this, but I will definitely be making it again. Great flavor and just the right amount of spice! I made it with hot venison sausage and used the Olive Garden Italian dressing I had in my fridge. It was a hit with my family!
If you’re going the optional balsamic route- 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar is way too much. It was absurdly too vinegary and overpowering. Start with a tablespoon or maybe two.
Made this today. Everything except balsamic dressing. Delicious,,,willl definitely make again.
This is the best pasta I have ever had. My family laughs at me because I make it at least once or twice a week. I love it that much.
My husband and I absolutely loved it. Thank you for sharing. I think I will eat this till I get super burnt out. Lol
Felt like this had potential, but the balsamic overpowered at the end and it was a bit too sweet for us. If were to make again would either halve or avoid the balsamic entirely and probably leave out a carrot. The wine had enough acidity in our case.
Looks Delicious! What happens to the taste if you omit the dressing? Can you just add balsamic vinegar? Not a fan of bottled dressing.
Hi, Sherry! Straight balsamic vinegar might be a bit too zingy. We have a simple balsamic dressing from this recipe you could make if you prefer to avoid bottled dressings, or you could just omit it altogether. https://no-exerci.today/winter-grain-bowl-with-balsamic-dressing%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Very delicious sauce! I used spicy chicken sausage since we don’t eat pork. My husband loved it and so did I.
This recipe is sooo good. It is so tasty and comforting. I added minced oyster mushrooms just ‘cause I had ‘em. Thank you for the recipe!
I made this a few months and froze half the batch…. Just had it for dinner because I didn’t feel like cooking. OMG it was better than the first time! The flavors meld beautifully. This is a keeper.
This is my never-fail, constant go-to recipe for regular night meals, hosting, and bringing friends meals. At bridal showers when asked to bring a recipe, this is usually the one that I’ll share. It’s so easy and incredibly flavorful! Using higher quality San Marzano tomatoes also makes a huge difference!