Sausage Rigatoni – Your One Go-To Dish for Entertaining!

Everyone needs that one, go-to dish that will wow your friends and family. This sausage and rigatoni recipe is ours (although hubby knows it as “Man Pasta” since it is so hearty and delicious). It is very hearty, super flavorful, and we usually have all of the ingredients on hand for unexpected guests. It also seems that we always have leftovers, which makes me one happy camper! At only about 45 minutes from start to finish, this recipe is a definite must try!

SAUSAGE RIGATONI

1 lb link sausage, sliced
2 bell peppers, chopped
2 onions, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/c c fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 c marsala wine
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 lb rigatoni (or any short noodles)

Cook sausage in pan until golden, remove sausages. Add bell peppers, onions, salt, and pepper, and cook until onions are just golden. I always have enough oil from the sausages to keep this from sticking, but if you are using some kind of lean meat, you may want to add olive oil to the pan. Add garlic, oregano, and basil, and cook for about two minutes. Stir in tomato paste, and then add wine, tomatoes (undrained), and red pepper flakes. Return sausage to pan, bring to a simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes, until sauce becomes thick. While simmering, cook pasta, and toss together right before serving.

I always have the wrong kind of wine on hand, so feel free to substitute the wine in this recipe (I would recommend red to give the most rich, hearty flavor to the sauce). Also, extra basil for garnish, and parmesan cheese complete this dish. I usually make a salad to go with this, but the pasta is so filling, and has a bunch of great veggies, so a side dish of any kind is not really necessary.