Creamy Italian Sausage Rigatoni

Ingredients

• 1 lb Mild Italian sausage (Casings removed)
• 12 oz Rigatoni
• 2 tbsp Unsalted butter
• 1 Shallot (Large, finely diced)
• 5 cloves Garlic (Minced)
• 1 tsp Dried oregano
• 1 tsp Kinder’s Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning
• 0.5 tsp Garlic salt (Adjust to taste)
• 0.25 tsp Black pepper (Freshly cracked)
• 1.5 cups Heavy cream
• 0.5 cup Reserved pasta water (Recipe instructions reserve about 1 cup; use ¼ cup for the sauce and more as needed for consistency)
• 0.75 cup Parmesan cheese (Freshly grated; additional fresh Parmesan is suggested for topping but no amount is specified)
• 0.5 tsp Red pepper flakes (Plus more for serving)
• Fresh parsley (Chopped; amount not specified, for topping)
• Olive oil (If needed for cooking)
• Salt (For salting the pasta water; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the rigatoni and cook until just al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.

2. 2

   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sausage, breaking it into bite-sized pieces as it cooks. Brown deeply and cook through, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer the sausage to a plate, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Use a little olive oil only if needed.

3. 3

   Reduce the skillet heat to medium and add the butter. Once it has melted, stir in the diced shallot and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Add the minced garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, until fragrant.

5. 5

   Add the oregano, garlic salt, Buttery Steakhouse Seasoning, and black pepper. Toast the seasonings for about 30 seconds.

6. 6

   Pour in the heavy cream and stir, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet.

7. 7

   Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water and let the sauce simmer gently for 3–5 minutes, until slightly thickened.

8. 8

   Whisk in the grated Parmesan until the sauce is smooth. Add another splash of pasta water if needed to adjust the consistency.

9. 9

   Return the sausage to the skillet and add the cooked rigatoni. Toss until the pasta is coated in sauce.

10. 10

    Top with fresh Parmesan, red pepper flakes, and chopped parsley before serving.

Notes

The ingredient list specifies ½ cup reserved pasta water, while the instructions say to reserve about 1 cup and use ¼ cup initially, adding more as needed. Fresh Parmesan for topping is mentioned without a separate quantity. The post describes this as a dinner made in less than 30 minutes.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• dinner
• quick
• weeknight
• pasta
• creamy
• stovetop