Every once in a Wednesday, we make it a mid-week fun pasta night. Tonight was no exception with Spicy Sausage Rigatoni. Wednesday night meals have to be pretty quick and simple. A little bit of prep work, followed by a little bit of waiting for the sauce to simmer; nothing difficult. This dish is perfect if you have a tiny amount of red wine left over from a party (or party of 1) and you want to throw it in some pasta with chunky tomatoes and spicy sausage. And if you’re lucky enough to score some fresh parsley, carrots, and onions, you’re in business.
This recipe uses some of my favs- onion sautéed in olive oil, rigatoni pasta, and a yummy Malbec!
Just noticed I put a dirty onion in the shot- way to go, me.
Heat some olive oil in a large pot (I always go for my cast iron) and saute some finely chopped onions and carrots until they’re soft. Add in the spicy Italian sausage and ALL those great seasonings. Stir the meat around to break up any clumps and cook until browned.
Pouring some red wine to the pot is a great way to get the browned bits off the bottom of the pan. Plus then you can drink some with dinner knowing it will go perfectly with the meal.
Add in the canned tomatoes and balsamic vinegar. Stir everything around and let it simmer for about 20 minutes to slightly reduce and build up flavor.
That’s looking about right. While this is simmering away, bring some salted water to a boil and cook the rigatoni according to package directions. Save 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining.
Combine the rigatoni, reserved pasta water, and sauce together and transfer to a large serving dish. Garnish with some Parmesan and fresh parsley. Oh, and serve with the red.
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion diced
- 4 carrots finely chopped
- 1 pound spicy Italian sausage ground
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes or to taste
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 cup red wine
- 1, 28 ounce can can San Marzano tomatoes with juices
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 pound rigatoni
- 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
- grated Parmesan for topping
- chopped parsley for topping
- Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pot over medium high heat. Add in onions and carrots and saute until soft, about 7 minutes.
- Add the ground sausage, oregano, basil, garlic powder, red pepper, salt and pepper. Break the sausage up into small pieces and stir until browned and cooked through.
- Reduce the heat slightly and pour in the red wine to scrape up browned bits on the bottom of the pan.
- Add in the the canned tomatoes and balsamic vinegar and stir to combine. Let simmer for 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook rigatoni according to package directions. Drain, and reserve 1/4 cup of the cooking water.
- Combine the pasta, reserved water, and sauce. Garnish with freshly grated Parmesan and some parsley.
Recipe adapted from Pinch of Yum.