Creamy Rigatoni w/ Italian Sausage
Hello Friends! I’m excited to share a recipe today for Creamy Rigatoni w/ Italian Sausage. The cream sauce in this dish is an enlightened version that won’t expand your waistline, but still tastes rich and decadent.
Pasta is the ultimate comfort food. Growing up in an Italian family, we ate a lot of pasta and pasta is so versatile and great for a busy weeknight. When you work full time, the last thing you want to do when you get home is make a really involved meal. This recipe for Creamy Rigatoni w/ Italian Sausage comes together quickly and will please even picky eaters.
Here are some links to other pasta dishes on the blog:
- Pesto Pasta w/ Grape Tomatoes
- Chicken Pomodoro Pasta
- Turkey Kielbasa w/ Bell Peppers, Onions & Penne Pasta
- Homemade Macaroni & Cheese w/ Pancetta and Caramelized Onions
The ingredients for this dish are inexpensive and you can easily double or triple the recipe to feed a crowd. Invite some friends over for game night and feed them this hearty pasta dish!
[tweetthis]Feed a crowd with this delicious and easy pasta #recipe, perfect for weeknight cooking.[/tweetthis]
Begin by browning mild Italian Sausage in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the sausage until there is no pink in the middle.
Remove the sausage from the pan and drain the fat on a paper towel lined plate.
While the sausage is cooking, chop up the onions and mushrooms. Baby bella mushrooms pair really well with Italian sausage, but use any mushrooms you like.
Add the garlic and onions to the pan and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until the mushrooms are tender. You may need to add a little olive oil to the pan, depending on how much fat the sausage renders.
Next, remove the mushroom and onion mixture from the pan and add one 8 oz package of Neufchatel cheese and break it up with a spoon. Neufchatel cheese tastes very similar to cream cheese, but it is lower in calories. Once it starts to melt, add low sodium chicken broth. Heat until bubbles start to form then add the 3 cheese blend.
Doesn’t that resemble a rich cream sauce filled with butter and real cream? You can create a rich tasting, creamy sauce without the high calorie count. And, you don’t have to sacrifice flavor!
Once the cream sauce comes together, add the sausage, mushrooms and onions back into the pan. Drain the Rigatoni and add it to the same pan and stir until everything is combined.
Garnish with fresh, chopped parsley. Fresh herbs will brighten any dish and parsley pairs really well with this Creamy Rigatoni w/ Italian Sausage. Leftovers of this dish are equally as good, so make plenty of extra.
Your family is going to love this recipe! Please let me know how you like it by leaving a comment below. Be sure to tag #ketchumkitchen on social media. Be sure to subscribe to my email list to receive new recipes in your mailbox.
Thank you for stopping by my kitchen, where everything is made from the ♥
Ingredients
- 1 pound bulk Mild Italian Sausage
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 8 ounces baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 4 cloves minced garlic
- 1 8 ounce package Neufchatel cheese
- 1 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/3 cup 3 cheese blend (parmesan, romano, asiago)
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil (as needed)
- 1 pound rigatoni pasta, cooked to al dente
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Boil water for the pasta and cook the rigatoni until it's al dente (with a bite to it) - drain
- Crumble the sausage and cook on medium-high heat in a deep skillet until there is no pink in it. Once the sausage crumbles have browned, drain on a paper towel lined plate.
- Add the garlic and onions to the pan and cook until the onions are translucent. Depending on how much fat the sausage has rendered, you may need to add a little bit of olive oil. Add mushrooms and black pepper and continue cooking until mushrooms have softened. (Skip the salt as the sausage has a lot of sodium and you most likely will not need additional salt.)
- Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and add the Neufchatel cheese. Break up the cheese with a spoon to help it melt. Add the low sodium chicken broth and continue stirring until bubbles form. Add the 3 cheese blend and stir until combined.
- Add the sausage and mushroom mixture back into the same pan, stir well and add in the Rigatoni. Mix until well combined.
- Garnish with fresh chopped parsley.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Rigatoni w/ Italian Sausage
Serves: 6
| Amount Per Serving: | ||
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 715.3 kcal | |
| % Daily Value* | ||
| Total Fat 38.12 g | 58.5% | |
| Saturated Fat 15.25 g | 75% | |
| Trans Fat 0.0 g | ||
| Cholesterol 93.05 mg | 31% | |
| Sodium 805.46 mg | 33.5% | |
| Total Carbohydrate 63.65 g | 21% | |
| Dietary Fiber 3.52 g | 12% | |
| Sugars 5.01 g | ||
| Protein 28.93 g | ||
| Vitamin A 110.98 µg | Vitamin C 8.45 mg | |
| Calcium 171.01 mg | Iron 2.62 mg | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Ketchum Kitchen
This looks and sounds wonderful, honey! For those who need gluten free there are many GF pastas to choose from.
Yes there are. Good tip Mom!