Our Spicy Sausage Pasta is hearty, full of flavor, and just the right amount of heat, with a rich tomato sauce that coats every bite. It’s easy to make with everyday ingredients and hits the table in about 30 minutes.
Don’t count on leftovers.
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I’ve been making versions of this Spicy Sausage Pasta for years now, and let me tell you, folks go back for seconds.
The sausage cooks down with the onions and garlic to create a rich, savory base that fills the whole kitchen with the scent of dinner being almost ready. Then the tomatoes simmer down into a thick, hearty sauce that grabs onto the rigatoni.
The Pecorino brings the salt, the basil keeps it fresh, and suddenly that skillet dinner feels like it should be served in something special. But your favorite serving bowl will do just fine.
You don’t need anything fancy to make this tasty dish, just some pantry staples and a pack of spicy Italian sausage.
And it only takes 10 minutes to prepare and 25 to cook, but it tastes like you spent all afternoon on it.
Serve with a side of our Easy Garlic Bread for a golden, garlicky crunch that’s perfect for soaking up that rich tomato sauce.
For something lighter on the side, try our Roasted Zucchini, featuring a tender texture and mellow, caramelized flavor.
Ingredients
Gather the ingredients to prepare our Spicy Sausage Pasta recipe. Culinary professionals call this the “Mise en Place,” which means “everything in its Place.”
Setting up your ingredients not only helps speed up the cooking process but also ensures you have all the necessary ingredients on hand to make the recipe.
Can I Make Adjustments to the Recipe?
Absolutely. We created our Spicy Sausage Pasta recipe using hot Italian sausage, but you can substitute it with sweet, mild, chicken, or turkey sausage for a different flavor or less heat. Pork sausage gives the richest taste, but any sausage meat will work.
Rigatoni holds the spicy sauce beautifully, but penne pasta, ziti, or any short pasta shape will do the job. Skip the long pastas for the best texture.
No fresh basil or Pecorino? Use dried herbs and Parmesan cheese to achieve a similar savory finish without making another trip to the store.
How to Make Spicy Sausage Pasta
Follow along with my simple step-by-step instructions to learn how to make Spicy sausage pasta in your home kitchen.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil and chopped onions to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the onions become tender.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant
- Add the spicy Italian sausage meat to the pan.
- Cook for 5-7 minutes, or until it is fully cooked and no pink remains. As it cooks, break it into small pieces with a spatula or spoon. Scrape the little browned bits off the bottom of the pan to build extra flavor.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the mixture.
- Stir to combine and continue to cook until it comes to a light boil.
*For an even more robust flavor, deglaze the pan with 4 ounces of dry red wine before adding the crushed tomatoes.
Cook the rigatoni in a large pot of water according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water, if needed, to thin out the sauce.
- Add the tomato paste, granulated sugar, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and sea salt to the sauce.
- Stir until thoroughly combined. Simmer the sauce over medium heat while the pasta cooks.
- Add the drained pasta to the tomato sauce.
- Mix together until well combined.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the Romano cheese and fresh basil to the mixture.
- Stir to combine.
Perfect for date nights, dinner parties, or busy weeknights when you want something quick that satisfies everyone’s hunger and leaves them happy.
Once they’ve had a bite, you can count on them coming back for more!
How to Store and Reheat
Store any leftover spicy sausage pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
To reheat, add a splash of pasta water or chicken broth and gently warm over medium heat on the stove. You can also microwave it in short bursts, stirring in between to keep the pasta from drying out.
Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months, and thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. The texture of the rigatoni may soften slightly once it’s thawed.
Recipe FAQs
You sure can. Chorizo will give you a smokier bite, while ‘nduja melts right into the sauce and adds a bold, spicy depth. Both are excellent twists if you’re feeling adventurous.
That usually means it didn’t simmer long enough. Give it a little more time on the stove so the flavors can concentrate and the sauce thickens up. But don’t worry if it ends up too thick, that splash of reserved pasta water will loosen it right back up if needed.
Yes, this is a great make-ahead dish. You can prepare the sauce in advance, then reheat and toss it with freshly cooked pasta when you’re ready to serve.
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Spicy Sausage Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound rigatoni cooked per instructions on the package
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage meat or sweet Italian sausage
- 2 ½ cups crushed tomatoes
- ⅓ cup Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmasean cheese
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup sweet onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh basil chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh garlic finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- ½ teaspoon black pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt to taste
- grated Romano cheese for garnish and serving
- fresh chopped basil for garnish
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Instructions
- Place a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and chopped onions to the pan. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring frequently until the onions become tender.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant
- Add the spicy Italian sausage meat to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes, or until it is fully cooked and no pink remains. As it cooks, break up any big pieces with a spatula or spoon.
- Scrape the little browned bits off the bottom of the skillet.*For an even more robust flavor deglaze the pan with 4 ounces of dry red wine.
- Add the crushed tomatoes to the mixture. Stir to combine and continue to cook until it comes to a light boil.
- Add the tomato paste, granulated sugar, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and sea salt to the sauce, stirring until thoroughly combined.Simmer the sauce over medium heat while the pasta cooks.
- Cook the rigatoni according to the package instructions for al dente. Drain the pasta and reserve ½ cup of the starchy pasta water, if needed, to thin out the sauce.
- Add the pasta to the tomato sauce and mix together until well combined.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the Romano cheese and fresh basil to the mixture. Stir to combine.
- Serve with grated Romano or Parmesan cheese and savor the flavor!
Hall Walter says
In the ingredients section you left out the crushed tomato and how much???
Chef Dennis Littley says
I realized that just a few minutes ago and added it in. It’s 2 1/2 cups. Sorry for the confusion.
Hall Walter says
Thank you Chef
Can’t wait to make it
Walter
Chef Dennis Littley says
Let me know how you like it.