Creamy Italian Sausage Rigatoni with Fennel
This creamy Italian sausage rigatoni is an easy, cozy pasta dinner made with savory ground sausage, tender fennel, onions, garlic, and a rich tomato cream sauce.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: DINNER | PASTA
- Method: STOVETOP
- Cuisine: ITALIAN | AMERICAN
Ingredients
Scale
- 16 ounces rigatoni pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound ground Italian sausage, mild or hot
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 fennel bulb, thinly sliced, white bulb portion only
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
- 1 jar (24 ounces) marinara sauce
- ½ cup half-and-half or heavy cream
- ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for serving
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
- Chopped parsley or fennel fronds, for garnish
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the rigatoni until al dente according to package directions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the Italian sausage and cook, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through.
- Add the sliced onion and fennel to the sausage. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring often, until the vegetables are soft and the fennel is tender.
- Stir in the garlic and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Pour in the marinara sauce. Season with salt and black pepper, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the half-and-half and Pecorino Romano until the sauce is creamy and smooth.
- Add the drained rigatoni and toss until coated. Stir in a splash of reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Serve hot with additional Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and a light sprinkle of chopped parsley or fennel fronds.
Notes
- Use heavy cream for an extra-rich sauce, or half-and-half for a lighter creamy finish.
- Do not overcook the pasta; al dente rigatoni holds up best in the sauce.
- Fresh fennel becomes mellow and lightly sweet as it cooks and pairs beautifully with Italian sausage.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of milk, cream, or water to loosen the sauce.