Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
Rigatoni catches plenty of creamy tomato sauce in this sausage pasta, with spinach tucked between the tubes. Parmesan gives it a savory finish, and the sausage adds a hearty bite. Scoop up some sauce with your next forkful so the tomato and cream reach each piece of pasta.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 8
- Ingredients
- 9 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Dinner
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Cook pasta al dente
Boil the rigatoni according to its package until al dente, then drain before adding to the sauce.
2. Garlic follows browned sausage
Once the sausage is no longer pink, stir in the garlic and cook briefly before adding tomatoes.
3. Wilt spinach near the end
Add spinach after cream and Parmesan, mixing until it begins wilting before the pasta joins the sauce.
Get to know the ingredients
Italian sausage
Brown Italian sausage in the heavy skillet while the pasta cooks, then add garlic once no pink remains.
Crushed tomatoes
Crushed tomatoes simmer with the sausage, Italian seasoning and salt before the sauce becomes creamy.
Fresh spinach
Add fresh spinach at the finish, or use thawed, drained frozen spinach instead.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 8. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 5 steps completeMake room for Creamy Tuscan Sausage Pasta
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Coat and add Parmesan
Toss the cooked pasta thoroughly in the creamy sausage sauce and serve warm with additional Parmesan over the top.
A little more help as you go
Other tube pasta
You can use penne or ziti in place of rigatoni for this creamy tomato and sausage dish.
Loosening reheated sauce
You can use a splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick while reheating the saved pasta.
A few questions you might have
When do I add heavy cream?
Stir it into the tomato sauce with Parmesan after the sauce has simmered, then add the spinach.
Can I use penne?
Yes, you can use penne or ziti instead of the rigatoni.
Can I use half-and-half?
Yes, the substitution notes expressly allow half-and-half in place of heavy cream for the sauce.
Does spinach cook through the whole simmer?
No, add it after the cream and Parmesan and mix briefly until it starts wilting before adding pasta.
How are leftovers reheated?
Options include microwave bursts or low stovetop heat, with a splash of water if the sauce needs loosening.
Any more cooking tips?
Substitutions: Rigatoni – Penne or Ziti Italian Sausage – Pork sausage or Spanish chorizo. Crushed tomatoes – Tomato sauce or diced tomatoes. Heavy Cream – Half and half. Parmesan – Romano, Asiago, Grana Padano. Fresh Spinach – Thawed and drained frozen spinach. How to Store: To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store: in the refrigerator for 3-4 days How to Freeze: Making this Italian sausage pasta recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months. To freeze before cooking Cook the pasta and drain, then set aside. Make the sauce, but leave out the spinach and cream. Freeze the cooked pasta and sauce in separate containers. When ready to cook, thaw both in the refrigerator for 24-48 hours. Warm the sauce, add the cream and then spinach, then toss in the thawed pasta. How to Reheat: This pasta with sausage and spinach can be reheated in the microwave using 30-second bursts or on the stovetop over low heat. If the sauce has thickened too much, add a splash of water to loosen it up. How to Scale: This recipe can easily be doubled in a large skillet for more servings or halved to serve less.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: easyfamilyrecipes.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
