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This Spicy Sausage Rigatoni is quick and easy with only a handful of ingredients but tastes as good as your favourite restaurant’s version. The entire dish comes together in around 15 minutes, can easily be scaled to feed a crowd and adapted to be gluten-free or grain-free with your favourite pasta. Just keep in mind that this recipe leans heavily on my favourite high-quality jarred marinara so be sure to use one you love. It’s rich, saucy, perfectly spiced, and guaranteed to become a staple in your kitchen.
Why You’ll Love This Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
- Quick and Easy: Ready in only 15 minutes with minimal prep time.
- Flavour-Packed: You could put this SAUZ Cracked Pepper & Parmesan marinara sauce on shoe leather and it would taste good.
- Customizable: Easily adjust the spice level to your taste or swap ingredients based on what you have on hand.
- Family Favourite: Who doesn’t love a delicious bowl of pasta?!
Ingredients You Need for the Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
This recipe serves 2 so scale the measurements as needed. There’s a helpful button to assist you with that on the recipe card below!
- Rigatoni Pasta: I actually used a shape called mezi rigatoni, which is basically half the length of a regular rigatoni. I find this shape a bit easier to eat, especially for young kids, but it’s not as easy to find. You could also substitute your favourite pasta shape, but I recommend something that will trap some of the sauce, such as orecchiette or penne.
- Italian Sausage: Feel free to use your favourite Italian sausage here – spicy or mild. I know it’s a bit confusing, but even though the recipe is called Spicy Sausage Rigatoni I didn’t actually use sausage myself. I stopped eating pork a while back and it’s hard to find a good chicken or turkey sausage made with clean ingredients. Instead, I use ground turkey and seasoned it myself with fennel seeds, salt and pepper – these are the base flavours for most Italian sausages so you will get a very similar flavour profile. At the end, I finish the sauce with chile flakes to make it spicy.
- Fennel Seeds: The amount of fennel seeds needed in this recipe will depend entirely on the type of sausage you use. Some Italian-style sausage is loaded with fennel, so you won’t need to add any extra. Others have barely any fennel so you might want to add more to the sauce to bump up the flavours. If you’re unsure, the best thing to do is fry a small bit of sausage in the pan and taste it before making the sauce.
- Olive Oil: I like to brown the meat in olive oil before adding the marinara. It helps develop a bit more flavour and texture.
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: Use as much or as little chile flakes as your heart desires. I like this pasta on the spicy side but I would omit it entirely if serving to my kid.
- SAUZ Marinara: I first discovered SAUZ jarred marinaras in 2024 at the Natural Foods Expo in Anaheim and it was the product I was the MOST excited about. The ingredients are super clean, the flavours are deep and delicious, and they have a wide variety of marinaras to choose from. I went with their Cracked Pepper and Parmesan here for a bit of creaminess, but they have others that are dairy-free and Paleo-friendly. They’re sold in stores (Whole Foods, Target and other local suppliers) or can be ordered online in the US.
- Grated Pecorino: Finish the Spicy Sausage Rigatoni with a light snowfall of freshly-grated pecorino or parmesan cheese.
- Pasta Water: Be sure to reserve some of the pasta cooking water so that you can add it to the sauce along with the cooked pasta. The water will help reconstitute the reduced marinara and the starch in the water will help the sauce to stick to the past. It will also create a creamy emulsion once you start to vigorously stir or toss the pasta. This is almost as important as the marinara itself!
For Best Results!
- Cook Pasta Al Dente: Rigatoni holds its shape best when slightly firm to the bite.
- Brown the Sausage Well: Let the sausage develop a golden crust in the pan for deeper flavour.
- Save Some Pasta Water: Before draining the pasta, reserve about half of a cup of pasta cooking water. You can use it to loosen the sauce if it becomes too thick.
- Taste as You Go: Especially with spice levels! Some sausages are spicier than others.
Ingredient Substitution Ideas
- Sausage: Use sweet Italian sausage if you prefer less heat, or try chicken or turkey sausage for a lighter version. You can also use plain ground turkey for a leaner option.
- Pasta: Penne, ziti, or even orrechiete work beautifully if you don’t have rigatoni.
Serving Suggestions
- Simple Salad: Serve alongside a crisp arugula salad dressed with lemon vinaigrette.
- Rapini: Some garlicky sautéed rapini or broccoli rabe is the perfect accompaniment to the rich and spicy pasta.
Reheating Suggestions
- Stovetop: Reheat gently in a pan over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce as needed.
- Microwave: Cover and microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until heated through.
- Oven: Place in a covered, oven-safe dish and warm at 350°F for about 15 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this recipe ahead of time?
Yes! Spicy Sausage Rigatoni reheats very well. Make it up to 2 days in advance and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Just be sure to cook the pasta fresh and save some of the cooking water so that you can reconstitute the sauce.
How can I make it even spicier?
Add more crushed red pepper flakes, use a spicier variety of sausage, or stir in a spoonful of Calabrian chili oil.
Can I freeze leftovers?
Absolutely. You can store the cooked sauce in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating. Again, be sure to cook the pasta fresh when ready to eat.
Is there a dairy-free option?
Yes. SAUZ makes some delicious dairy-free options. Their Wild Rosemary or Summer Lemon would also work very well here.
Spicy Sausage Rigatoni
Ingredients
- 2 cups rigatoni pasta, gluten-free or regular
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ pound ground turkey, substitute Italian sausage, casings removed
- ½ teaspoon fennel seeds, optional, to taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 12 ounces SAUZ Cracked Pepper & Parmesan marinara
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, plus more to taste
- Freshly-grated Pecorino Romano cheese, substitute Parmigiano Reggiano
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Season the water with 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, add the rigatoni, stir to prevent the pasta from sticking and cook for 10 minutes or until the pasta is al dente.
- Meanwhile, preheat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and heat until shimmering. Add the ground turkey (or sausage), fennel seeds (if using), ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and freshly-cracked black pepper. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to crumble the turkey into small pieces and cook, stirring often, until the turkey is golden brown and cooked through, around 5 minutes.
- Add the SAUZ marinara and crushed pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until the liquid has slightly reduced in volume, around 4 minutes.
- Add the al dente pasta to the sauce along with ½ cup of reserved pasta cooking water and cook, stirring or tossing, until well coated and slightly creamy, around 2 minutes. If the sauce is too dry, add more pasta cooking water. If it’s too loose, continue cooking to reduce the liquid. Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust with salt, pepper and crushed pepper flakes as desired.
- Transfer the pasta to individual serving bowls, garnish with freshly-grated pecorino cheese and serve immediately.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
About the Author
Hi, i’m Ronny! In 2013, after a lifetime of struggling with my weight and body issues, I rehabilitated my relationship with food, lost over 40 pounds and completely changed my life.
So good! Used the Sauz vodka sauce and it had the perfect level of spice!