By Hot Italian sausage and crushed tomatoes make a substantial rigatoni sauce, with onion, carrot, celery and zucchini cooked into it. The vegetables belong in the sauce rather than beside it. Keep the pasta separate until serving, especially if you are setting some dinner aside for later.
Use a deep pot
A Dutch oven or deep skillet gives the sausage, vegetables, and crushed tomatoes room to cook. Brown the sausage first, then use a little of its rendered fat to soften the vegetables. Add extra oil only if the pan is dry.
Thick but spoonable
Tomato paste and crushed tomatoes make a substantial sauce. If it becomes too stiff while simmering, loosen it with a splash of water. When tossing a serving with pasta, use reserved pasta water a little at a time so the sauce clings to the tubes.
Penne and leftovers
Penne works if that is what you have. Either way, boil the pasta separately and combine only the portion you are eating. Store extra sauce separately; freezing sauce gives you a quick dinner later without reheating a block of swollen pasta.
How much sauce to toss
Start with enough sauce to coat a serving of pasta, then add reserved pasta water in small splashes. Rigatoni should carry sauce inside the tubes as well as outside them. Toss just the portion you intend to eat.
Big Rig — Spicy Italian sausage rigatoni with vegetables
Ingredients
Method
- Brown the sausage. Heat a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high. Add the full pound of sausage and break into bite-size crumbles. Brown for 5–7 minutes. Spoon off excess rendered fat, leaving a little to cook the vegetables. No automatic extra oil.
- Soften the vegetable base. Reduce to medium. Add onion, carrot, and celery and cook 7–9 minutes, stirring, until softened. Add a little olive oil only if the pan is dry. Give the onion time to soften rather than rushing this step.
- Bloom garlic, chili, and tomato paste. Add garlic, oregano, and 1/4–1/2 teaspoon chili flakes. Stir for 30 seconds. Stir in tomato paste and cook for 1 minute without scorching.
- Simmer the sauce. Add crushed tomatoes, diced zucchini, and black pepper. Scrape up browned bits, using a splash of water if necessary. Simmer gently uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until zucchini is tender and the sauce is thick but spoonable. Pork sausage must reach 160°F (165°F if using poultry sausage). Taste before adding salt or more chili. No wine, sugar, or cream.
- Boil pasta separately. While sauce simmers, cook rigatoni in salted water according to its package, stopping just shy of your preferred doneness. Reserve a mug of pasta water before draining. Do not cook the pasta directly in this sauce.
- Toss and serve. For immediate eating, toss the desired pasta portion with sauce over medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time until sauce clings to the tubes, not enough to turn soupy. Finish with optional light cheese.
- Save leftovers without soggy pasta. Keep unused sauce and pasta separate. Refrigerate promptly and use within 3–4 days, or freeze extra sauce. For best texture, cook fresh pasta for later portions. The original Rigatoni recipe remains unchanged.
Notes
What to cook next
For cooling and reheating guidance, read the cooking notes. Choose another meal from weeknight dinners or the comfort-food collection.